F-22 Raptor and F-23 Neraptor. Solitaire that didn't work out

The aircraft is designed to replace the interceptor, bomber, AWACS and reconnaissance aircraft. A machine that can radically change the course of a battle while remaining unnoticed. A fighter that has the inside of a spaceship, but performs earthly tasks. The F-22 Raptor is the world's first fifth-generation aircraft in service. The Raptor should become the mainstay and main defender of America's interests for decades to come.

The device has already undergone a baptism of fire, where it fully demonstrated its qualities and defended its right to exist.

Story

Both the American and Soviet military were aware of the need for a new generation fighter. Work began almost simultaneously, namely in 1981. The main indicators were to be: super-maneuverability, supersonic cruising speed and stealth.

For the Pentagon, the issue was more acute. The fact is that the Soviet Su-27 and MiG-29 came out later than the American F-15 and F-16, and, accordingly, were developed using more advanced technical solutions.

The main requirements for the ATF competition were published in March 1981.

The program was announced in May 1986. By the end of that year, two main competitors emerged - companies led by Lockheed on the one hand and Northrop on the other. Participants were supposed to show flying prototypes within 4 years.

By the beginning of 1990, the teams presented their models: YF-23 and YF-22. The devices came out much more expensive than the expected budget, for this reason it was decided to abandon some devices, namely the side-view radar and the optical-electronic guidance station. During testing, both prototypes showed their advantages and disadvantages.

The YF-23 model had less aerodynamic drag and better stealth characteristics, especially in the IR range. This was achieved thanks to specially shaped nozzles, which, however, worsen maneuvering characteristics. Such an aircraft is unable to perform a number of aerobatic maneuvers, such as the Cobra, for example.

Lockheed's YF-22 model, on the contrary, had good maneuvering qualities, thanks to its controlled thrust vector. Another important advantage of the YF-22 was its large payload. As a result, the prototype from the Lockheed YF-22 group was recognized as the best and won the competition.

The first pre-production prototype flew in September 1997.

Adjustments were made to the original airframe and more powerful engines with deflectable thrust vectoring in the vertical plane were installed.

Serial production of the aircraft began in 2001. The first vehicle was received at Nellis Air Force Base within 20 months. By 2004, the plant produced the 51st product.

The initial order of 750 vehicles was reduced. The government did not see the point in purchasing a large number of expensive cars, since the main geopolitical rival, the Soviet Union, had already collapsed by this time. Thus, the troops accepted the last 187th aircraft in 2012, completing the program.

Problems during operation

The main problem that arose during the operation of this aircraft was a problem in the oxygen supply system for the pilot’s breathing. Pilots complained of suffocation and unusual odors in the cockpit.

In 2012, for this reason, strict restrictions on flights were introduced: pilots were not allowed to move a significant distance away from the runways, or fly above 7.6 thousand meters.

An inspection was carried out and the cause of the problem was discovered. She turned out to be a vest that pilots wear to make breathing easier. Changes were made to its design, and the problem was solved.

Design

“First look - first kill” (first noticed - won) - a concept developed by the military, which implies that the one who detects first will win the battle, that is, it was supposed to exchange missiles at long distances.

The emphasis was placed on stealth technology at the expense of super-maneuverability: the engine nozzles are made of a special shape, eliminating maneuvers in the horizontal plane.

The weapons were hidden in special compartments - the cone-shaped parts of the missiles perfectly reflect radio waves, but the traditional suspension points were left in place. Fuel tanks are installed on the wing suspensions during long hauls.

Glider

The main task when designing the F-22 airframe is to reduce the ESR, that is, to minimize the reflection of radio waves from the enemy radar. They tried to place the protruding parts of the aircraft, such as the nose and tail, on parallel lines - a diamond-shaped wing and a V-shaped tail. Even the air intakes and joints of the body sheets have a special geometric shape.

These measures were supposed to reflect the radar beams away from the antenna. On the other hand, developers have actively begun to use radio-absorbing materials (RAM). According to various sources, their share in the airframe reaches 40%, of which 30% are heat-resistant. The polymer base was bismaleimides. In addition to them, Avimid K-III thermoplastic carbon fiber plastics are presented, which retain their properties even with damage and heating.

Engines

The fighter is equipped with two Whitney F119-PW-100 engines. This is a turbojet engine designed specifically for the ATF program. The compressor blades are made using blisk technology, that is, as one piece with the disk. This design can withstand heavy loads, which allows the compressor to pump more air into the combustion chamber.

The engine control system is electronic: the controller regulates the fuel supply, depending on flight conditions.

Compared to its predecessors, the engine produces 22% more power at the same consumption and has 40% fewer parts and components.

Characteristics of F119-PW-100

• thrust: 11829 kgf;
• Afterburner thrust: 16785 kgf;
• length: 5.16 m;
• diameter: 1.168 m;
• weight: 1770 kg;
• Thrust-to-weight ratio: 7.95.

The reason the F-22 prototype initially won the competition was due to its greater maneuverability, made possible by thrust vectoring. The nozzles can deviate in the vertical plane by 20 degrees and also have a flat shape.

A hot jet stream, with this shape, more efficiently transfers heat to the environment and cools. As a result, the visibility of the object in the IR range is reduced.

Electronic filling

The F-22 is the technologically advanced aircraft of the US Air Force. The aircraft is ready for any scenario and for this it is equipped with:

1. Radiation detector AN/ALR-94. Consists of 32 antennas distributed throughout the body. The complex registers enemy radar radiation, calculates its coordinates, the type of vessel and, if there are several of them, sets priorities depending on the threat posed. The pilot's screen displays information about the enemy in the form of a circle, indicating the range of his weapons. The data can be transmitted to radar or can be used to passively target weapons. In the first case, the radar, having received the coordinates, illuminates the target with a narrow beam, avoiding scanning the entire area.
2. Infrared and ultraviolet AN/AAR-56 missile launch sensors, also spaced 360 degrees. The jet of the fired rocket emits in the infrared range, which is detected by the device. Sensors determine the missile launch site and, based on this data, the computer displays the optimal escape maneuver in graphical form.
3. Radar AN/APG-77v1. Installation with an active phased array antenna (AFAR). Its fundamental difference from passive phased array is the absence of a single transmitter. The signal is formed by many active microtransmitters, which makes it possible to generate powerful radiation. But on the other hand, heat generation increases, which requires the installation of liquid cooling. In total, the mass of the AN/APG-77 complex was 553 kg, and the cooling pump capacity was 35 liters of liquid per minute.

As you can see, electronic systems are closely integrated in hardware and complement each other. Devices based on different operating principles identify any existing threats.

By mixing all the data, a single circular information system is created, which takes the burden off the pilot and ultimately increases his survivability.

F-22 COMBAT EFFECTIVENESS

At long ranges

The ideology of the Raptor developers can be expressed in one phrase - “first to discover, first to destroy.” The fundamentals of survival and victory in long-range combat are the detection range and energy of the missile. The F-22's flight characteristics, combined with its low RCS, give it advantages in long-range combat. Low ESR plays a leading role in this - it makes it possible to approach the enemy at missile launch range without being noticed, compared to aircraft with conventional ESR. This allows launches to be carried out under favorable conditions.

The long range of detection and tracking of targets by the on-board radar also minimizes the likelihood of being hit by enemy fire, which, combined with a low RCS, allows you to be the first to detect the enemy and launch missiles. Even if you do not take into account the low visibility of the aircraft, the F-22 is a formidable opponent due to its high flight characteristics. Cruising supersonic speed, that is, flying at supersonic speed without turning on afterburner, eliminates the need to accelerate before launching missiles, while fourth-generation aircraft with cruising speeds in the region of 1.2 M are forced to accelerate with afterburning engines before launching missiles, which leads to increased fuel consumption. The F-22, with a cruising speed of 1.7M, does not have this drawback.

Another advantage is a larger service ceiling than existing fighters, which also helps to increase the kinetic energy of the missiles (they fire, essentially, from top to bottom). The AMRAAM missiles in service are single-stage, their engine operates only at the initial stage of flight, and then the missile’s flight and maneuvering occurs due to the accumulated energy. Thus, by imparting as much energy as possible to the missile at launch, it is possible to increase its range or save more energy for maneuvering at the final stages of the trajectory. Currently, two-stage air-to-air missiles are being developed, as well as missiles equipped with ramjet engines that can negate the superiority of the F-22/AMRAAM tandem. This can be prevented by the adoption of the AIM-120D missile, currently undergoing testing, with a 50% increased flight range and other improvements.

Maneuverability characteristics

In its maneuverability characteristics, the F-22 surpasses all existing fighters across the entire range of altitudes and flight speeds. The aerodynamics of the vehicle, combined with high engine thrust, powerful self-propelled guns and controlled thrust vectoring, provide the F-22 with excellent maneuverability and controllability in all flight modes. In particular, the vehicle demonstrated steady flight with an angle of attack of up to 60°.

In the event of war, the F-22 will be able to operate equally effectively in both long-range and short-range maneuverable air combat, and if we add its capabilities to hit ground targets, it becomes clear that this is one of the best examples of aviation technology to date.

Comparison with the F-16 shows that the Raptor is superior across the entire range of altitudes and flight speeds, even without the use of afterburning engines. In only one area does the F-16's afterburner-on performance approach that of the F-22, which, however, is easily negated by the Raptor pilot turning on the afterburner.

It can be said that nowadays a well-trained F-22 pilot will have an advantage over any opponent. Although, when compared with modernized aircraft of the Su-27 family, in particular the Su-35, the advantages of the American aircraft are not so obvious. Firstly, against ten R-77 missiles of the Russian F-22 fighter, only six AMRAAM missiles are carried. The American aircraft also lacks an optical-location station operating in the infrared range, and the presence of a passive means of detecting air targets gives the pilot additional advantages. When conducting close-in maneuverable air combat, a Russian fighter pilot will also have advantages due to the presence of a helmet-mounted target designation system (HTS) and short-range missiles with a wide field of view of the seeker and high maneuverability. This advantage can be partially eliminated by the adoption of the AIM-9X guided missile with controlled thrust vectoring, but F-22 pilots will not receive the NSC very soon, if at all. And the Russian fifth-generation fighter T-50 has already taken wing.

Impact capabilities

The F-22 was originally designed as an air superiority fighter. The requirement for the ability to attack ground targets was added later, which affected the aircraft's strike capabilities.

Thus, the requirement for stealth forced the developers to limit the volume of cargo compartments. As a result, it turned out that a significant part of the air-to-ground weapons could not fit into them (for example, the AGM-88 HARM anti-radar missile). Thus, the F-22 cannot use the main American anti-radar missile. Of course, it can carry this missile on an external sling, but in this case the main advantage of the Raptor is lost - stealth. Due to the small payload capacity of the internal slings, the F-22 also cannot carry heavy bombs - their maximum caliber is limited to 1000 pounds (454 kg).

For reasons of reducing the cost of the aircraft, the F-22 avionics does not include specialized bomber equipment. The software contains the algorithms necessary for detecting and identifying targets. The destruction of these targets, in turn, is carried out by controlled bombs guided by a signal from the GPS navigation system.

Radar station

A completely new radar with electronic beam sweep was created for the fighter. The onboard radar is represented by the AN/APG-77 model. Its feature is a pseudo-random frequency change mode. It is based on the idea of ​​repeatedly changing the frequency randomly. It will be more difficult for enemy stations to detect such a signal.

The second feature is 2 thousand elements, each of which is a receiving and transmitting cell.

The resolution of such a station is qualitatively improved - the number of tracked targets has increased to 100, and it has also become possible to transmit commands to a fired missile using a beam.

Type target detection range

1. Fighter with ESR >3 m² up to 250-310 km (Su-27, Mig 29, Eurofighter Typhoon).
2. Cruise missiles (0.1-0.5 m²) - up to 150 km.
3. Tanks and boats - up to 70 km.

Other characteristics

• The viewing angle horizontally and vertically is 120 degrees.
• The number of targets fired at the same time is 20 units.
• The complete picture update time is 14 seconds.
• Maximum average power – 18500 Watts.

With such parameters, the F-22 “Raptor” is a full-fledged AWACS aircraft, being its compact version.

About invincible stealth

The F-22 is practically invisible in the photo, isn’t it?

It is well known that American F-22s are invisible, invincible and generally the best. What can our dryers do against them? So this is not a plane, but all these dryers are zilch. Let's look at what advantages stealth technology gives an aircraft compared to those aircraft that do not have it. To do this, we only need school knowledge and a little erudition gleaned from children's educational books.

First of all, we should once again remind you: stealth is not invisibility to radars, stealth is only “low” visibility. Stealth is perfectly visible in the optical range, near infrared, far infrared, and also in radio waves longer than one meter. At radio waves less than one meter it is not invisible, it is only less noticeable.

How much less? Let's remember our school knowledge of geometry. The radiation power varies with distance from the radiation source by the square root. If at a distance of 40 km we measure a signal with power X, then at a distance of 400 km the signal power from this source will already be X * 0.01, that is, a hundred times less. An ordinary aircraft irradiated by radar scatters this signal, roughly speaking, evenly in all directions. Therefore, the power of the reflected signal drops according to exactly the same principle. That is, the radar echo of an aircraft with a change in distance of 10 times changes by 10,000 times.

Thus, in order to be detected by some hypothetical radar not at a distance of 400 km, but only at 40 km, the aircraft must scatter the reflected signal 10,000 times less.

What does stealth technology do to a radio signal? Instead of scattering the incident radiation, it absorbs part of it, and partly reflects it, without scattering, in the most limited number of directions in order to minimize the chance of the reflected beam hitting the radar receiver. That is why stealths have such chopped shapes and many parallel edges and edges. It is impossible to achieve complete absorption or reflection; some is always scattered, so the ESR indicator is used - the effective scattering surface.

The EPR of conventional fighters is estimated to be about 10 square meters. According to our experts, the ESR of the F-22 should be at the level of 0.3 sq.m., that is, only 300 times less, and not 10,000. According to the Americans, in the frontal projection its ESR is 0.0001 sq.m., then is like a steel ball 1 cm in diameter. As they say - well, well. What will happen to the EPR of the F-22 with side or even multi-angle illumination, what it has in general with the EPR in projections other than the frontal one is a great US state secret.

Well, let's trust the Americans and look at the characteristics of some radar. For example, N035 Irbis, Su-35S radar. Target with EPR 0.01 sq.m. it detects at a distance of 90 km. Thus, in the most favorable scenario and assuming that the Americans are not embellishing, the Su-35S will detect the F-22, observing the strictest camouflage regime, by radar at a distance of about 30 km. At this distance, the aircraft can be detected already in the IR range of the onboard OLS. It is in the forward hemisphere that it detects a target 30 km away, but if you can see the hot nozzles of the aircraft, then all 80 km away. Well, if you deviate from a favorable situation and adjust the American statements to the opinion of our experts (well, that is, in real life), the detection range even by a fighter radar can exceed 100 km. Even routine air patrols using only the radars of the fighters themselves, irradiating a given area from many angles, greatly increases the risk of detection.

However, on-board radars of fighters operate in the centimeter wavelength range and emit a power of units, or at most tens of kilowatts. It is impossible to achieve more from a washer with a diameter of about 1 meter. The wavelength is limited by geometry, the radiated power is limited by the cooling of the antenna. It is to this range that the capabilities of stealth technology are limited. And also for reasons of simple geometry - the F-22 is not large enough to effectively reflect or absorb meter waves, it can only scatter them. As a child, you probably read that a mirror is a surface whose irregularities are smaller than the length of the reflected waves? Ground-based radars are not strictly limited by their size, number of antennas, power, or, as a consequence, by the centimeter wavelength range. For meter waves, stealth and non-stealth are all the same. The intricately multifaceted F-22, from the point of view of meter waves, is as round as the nose cone of the Su-27. That is, for a developed layered ground-based air defense system that covers the defended area with radar radiation in several wavelength ranges from many angles, the F-22 poses no more of a threat than any other non-stealth aircraft.

That is why the supply of S-300 to some Syria, Iran or any other country is a sore point for the Americans. Already half a century ago, the S-300 is enough to extremely complicate the use of stealth weapons - F-22 or cruise missiles. Moreover, F-22s do not even fly close to the operating areas of the S-300 and more advanced systems, so as not to inadvertently provide practical tracking experience, on the basis of which one could understand the real, and not advertising, characteristics of such a target.

Further, one of the fundamental problems of stealth technologies was discussed in the book “Entertaining Physics” by Yakov Perelman, first published more than 100 years ago. It consists in the fact that a real invisible person himself does not see anything. In fact, in order for the F-22 to be able to detect targets, at least by rotating its radar in passive mode, this same radar, a 1-meter puck, needs to be exposed to all radio waves so that it can interact with them. The nose cone of the F-22 in stealth mode should not be radio-transparent, so as not to violate the geometry of the reflective surfaces of the aircraft. But if you want to at least passively peek at the surrounding air with a radar, you will have to make the radome radio transparent, otherwise the radar, even if it can emit a signal through it, will certainly not be able to receive anything back. What is the EPR of 0.0001 sq. m. in front, can we say when a radar antenna a meter in diameter is looking straight ahead? Maybe this antenna completely absorbs the signal falling on it? Okay, then what about the part of the aircraft body that is not covered by the radar, which is exposed to radio waves at the moment when the nose cone becomes “transparent”? Trouble...

The F-22 in stealth mode, for the sake of reduced visibility, must itself become practically blind and deaf. The mode is complete radio silence, the radar is turned off and hidden, even a radio signal cannot be simply received, because for this you need to install at least some antennas, which will immediately begin to scatter the signal. The only option is some kind of one-way satellite communication channel, when the receiving devices look up into space and are not exposed to the irradiation of radars around. But how then will he see air targets? Obviously, in order to detect Papuan aircraft that do not have normal air defense, a long-range reconnaissance aircraft must still be circling somewhere 300 kilometers away, which will transmit target designation. There is still the same OLS, which can see at 30-80 km, but here’s the problem - the enemy’s OLS will also be visible at 30-80 km. But Papuans may not have such advanced systems on their planes. Apparently, that’s what it’s all about.

There is no need to talk about turning on the radar - it is a flashlight with a power of several kilowatts, the signal of which can be detected even by an airplane pilot with his metal crowns on his teeth. Talk about what can be quickly turned on, fired and turned off is pure theory. The only long-range missile in the F-22's armament is the AIM-120C. Its range is 50-70 km (already a dangerous distance even in stealth mode); in new modifications they claim about 100 km. Its homing head locks onto a target only at a distance of 15-20 km. It flies to the target “from memory”, using an inertial guidance system. If you do not carry out radio correction, then for an aircraft fired at by such a missile, at the moment of detection of irradiation by the radar (which means someone was aiming and, possibly, fired back), it is enough to sharply change the direction of flight so that the missile “from memory” arrives in a completely different place from where 40 minutes later -60 seconds (flight time of AIM-120 from maximum range) will be its target. And the procedure itself for detecting a target, selecting it and launching a missile will take the F-22 more than one second of violating the low visibility mode.

So, the range of practical applications of low radar signature is getting narrower and narrower. In fact, in light of the above, it is limited to an area where the enemy has neither extensive air defense, nor modern aircraft, nor air patrols, but only a few outdated types of aircraft. Because if the planes are not outdated, then today there are means that make life difficult for stealth even when faced with a small number of non-stealth opponents.

Yes, it is impossible to fit the ability to work with long waves into the dimensions of a fighter's main radar. But the plane itself is quite large. Over the past few years, at air shows, our designers have regularly demonstrated certain L-band radars installed in the leading edge of an aircraft wing. From them it is possible to form a linear array of transceiver modules about 10 meters or more in width. Such an antenna will be able to operate as a kind of direction finder in the long-wave range, forming a fairly narrow sector of directional radiation. Yes, since the array is stretched into a horizontal line, it is impossible to control the direction of transmission and reception vertically (that is, according to the height of the detected target). But horizontally, in azimuth, it is quite possible to detect even a target that is inconspicuous for short waves with sufficient accuracy, at least up to several kilometers. This means that the pilot of the aircraft will be warned that stealth is in effect, and will know very precisely in which area he is located. Forewarned is forearmed.

In theory, several aircraft equipped with such antennas, spaced hundreds of meters from each other, would be able to calculate the position and movement parameters of a stealth target with an accuracy sufficient to launch an IR-guided missile at it at a distance where the IR-guided missile would reliably work. head. Well, when the F-22 starts appearing in the air, shooting off heat traps and circling in every possible way, trying to disrupt the capture of such a missile, everything else will fly in its direction... But that’s a theory. In practice, even knowledge of the presence of stealth and its approximate position will allow a qualified pilot to force the stealth, in order to confidently hit the target, to approach a distance where low visibility for the radar will lose its significance and give way to the infrared range, and strictly maintain favorable angles from the point of view of its own EPR it will become impossible for stealth.

Borukh Nemtsov would have entitled the conclusion of the note as follows:

Stealth. Results.

The stealth capabilities of the aircraft are limited to: 1. Radio waves (visible for OLS on a general basis); 2. Moreover, only a narrow range thereof (for long-wave radars - on a general basis); 3. In the area of ​​application there should not be air defense systems built using technologies that are half a century old or newer; 4. Narrow irradiation angles, where stealth works as efficiently as possible (otherwise, even according to advertising characteristics, everything becomes very difficult); 5. Stealth is limited in its ability to detect targets (either it violates the low visibility regime, or it is provided with target designation from the outside) 6. Modern aircraft have effective means both from the point of view of revealing stealth and from the point of view of countering it, which is no longer the newest weapon.

In fact, it is possible to effectively use stealth only in conditions of complete technical superiority, when the enemy is armed with only outdated aircraft and extremely weak air defense, and the F-22 does not operate independently, but with the support of long-range reconnaissance means. If these conditions are violated, the number of factors limiting possible tactics based on low visibility increases like an avalanche.

Low visibility is important only as one of the factors when other characteristics of the aircraft are not sacrificed to it. This is indirectly confirmed by the fact that only Americans rush around with “stealth” aircraft, while the rest of the world moved to practical work in this area only when it became possible to develop stealth aircraft without sacrificing other characteristics.

Avionics

The aircraft systems are controlled by dual computers with a high degree of reliability, based on RISC processors. Flight information is displayed on a head-up display and six multi-function color displays.

Entering the autopilot route and communication parameters is done through the ICP remote control located above the central display. The introduction of voice control, originally planned, was cancelled. Low reliability of recognition and long reaction times were the main reasons for abandoning this idea.

Avionics modernization is expensive.

This is due to the fact that the processing unit, indicators, input panel and many other controls are closely integrated and replacing one of the components is impossible without a complete upgrade of all electronics.

Data transfer

TRW was entrusted with developing critical components, namely communications and recognition. The complex consists of a friendly object identification system, IFDL buses and Link-16 JTIDS. Over the IDFL channel, transmission works in both directions, while Link16 JTIDS is configured only to receive data, since there is a high probability of its interception.

The Increment 3.2 program was tasked with upgrading the communications interface to the MADL level, which was already installed in the B-2 bomber and the F-35 Lightning 2 interceptor. However, it was decided to cancel the project due to the emerging financial crisis.

F-22A Raptor – video

Start of work on the fighter

In 1981, the US Air Force formulated requirements for a new fighter jet, the Advanced Frontal Fighter (ATF), to replace the F-15 Eagle. It was proposed to incorporate all the latest developments into the new fighter, including advanced avionics, new engines with digital control, and should also be stealthy to radar and multi-functional.

In July 1986, the start of a competition for a fifth-generation fighter project was announced. In October of the same year, two teams were selected - Lockheed/Boeing/General Dynamics and Northrop/McDonnell Douglas, which were to create a new fighter within 50 months. By 1990, each team had built two prototype aircraft - the YF-22 and YF-23. By the end of the 80s, huge amounts of money had been spent on the development of ATF aircraft, so the companies had to abandon the side-view radar, optical location station and missile attack warning system (the AN/ALR-94 system is installed on F-22 aircraft). Requirements for the aircraft were reduced to avoid increasing the cost of the development program and then production aircraft. On April 23, 1991, the US Air Force announced the Lockheed/Boeing/General Dynamics group of companies as the winner of the competition for the fifth generation fighter.

ATF and F-22 Raptor Program

The first pre-production vehicle took off on September 7, 1997. Compared to the prototype, the F-22 was equipped with more powerful engines (15,876 kgf versus 13,900 on the prototype) with a thrust vector controlled in the vertical plane, the airframe of the aircraft was partially changed: the shape of the wing, elevators, nose cone changed, the cockpit canopy was moved forward. Serial production of the aircraft began in 2001. On January 14, 2003, the first F-22 arrived at the Nellis military base, located in the Nevada desert. By 2004, a total of 51 aircraft had been built. In 2006, a combat unit, the 27th Tactical Fighter Squadron stationed at Langley Air Force Base, switched completely to new fighters for the first time.

In 2006, it was planned to purchase 384 aircraft to equip seven combat duty squadrons; in 2008, the purchase plan was reduced to 188 aircraft, 127 of which had already been built. The economic crisis and the enormous cost of the aircraft forced the US government to abandon the purchase of this aircraft and focus on the F-35 program. On January 21, 2009, a group of US congressmen sent a letter to President Barack Obama, in which they reported on the distribution of the S-200/300 air defense system throughout the world as the main argument for continuing production of the F-22 Raptor fighter jets. In July 2009, the US Senate voted to cut the 2010 defense budget by $1.75 billion allocated for the production of the F-22 Raptor fifth-generation multi-role fighter.

On April 6, 2009, as part of the publication of the Pentagon's draft budget for 2010, US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announced plans to complete production of the F-22 fighter jets in 2011 at the previously approved quantity of 187 aircraft by the US Congress. In July of the same year, Congress rejected an increase in purchases of this fighter starting in 2010[16] in favor of increasing spending on the F-35 multi-role fighter development program. On December 13, 2011, the last production F-22A fighter aircraft, tail number 10-4195, left the Lockheed Martin assembly plant in Marietta, Georgia. It became the 195th F-22A produced since 1997, and on May 2, 2012, became the last, 187th production fighter to be delivered to the USAF.

Design

The design of the aircraft is based on the principle of ensuring increased survivability through the implementation of the principle “First look - first kill” (first to find, first to hit). For this purpose, stealth reduction technologies are widely used. An important design solution characteristic of 5th generation fighters, which reduces the visibility of the aircraft, is the placement of standard weapons in the internal compartments. The F-22 also has external slings, but installing ammunition on them impairs stealth. The purpose of this design solution was to increase the versatility of the aircraft.

Glider

In the design of an aircraft airframe, the share of polymer composite materials (PCM) is at least 40% (according to other sources, 60%), of which at least 30% is thermoplastic [source not specified 1995 days] carbon fiber, radio-absorbing materials (RAM) are widely used. In particular, the RPM structurally shapes the edges of the aircraft wing. Most of the structure is made of bismaleimides-based PCM, a class of heat-resistant polymers that operate at temperatures up to 230 degrees Celsius. The second most important polymer composites are represented by thermoplastic carbon fiber reinforced plastics, in particular the Avimid K-III material, the advantages of which, in addition to strength, maintainability and heat resistance, include better damage tolerance characteristics.

The contours of the gaps formed at the junction of the cockpit canopy with the fuselage, the doors of the landing gear and weapons compartments have a sawtooth shape, which also ensures effective dissipation of electromagnetic energy and prevents its direct reflection in the direction of the enemy radar transceiver antenna. The wing is diamond-shaped, with a V-shaped vertical stabilizer.

The design of the aircraft was carried out taking into account the requirements of combat survivability. According to a number of data, the survivability of the airframe design is determined in relation to the high-explosive fragmentation incendiary (HEF) projectile, which forms the basis of the ammunition of Russian 30-mm aircraft guns.

P&W F119-PW-100 engines with flat jet nozzle for reduced IR signature

Engines

The F-22 is equipped with two Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 turbofan engines with afterburners with a thrust of 15,876 kgf, and equipped with a thrust vector controlled in the vertical plane. These engines have a non-afterburning thrust of about 10,000 kgf and allow the aircraft to fly at supersonic speeds without the use of afterburner, which is an important tactical advantage.

The engine nozzles have a flat shape, which reduces the aircraft's visibility in the infrared range. The design of the nozzle devices uses a radio-absorbing material based on ceramics, which reduces the radar signature of the aircraft.

On-board equipment

The F-22 Raptor is controlled by two fault-tolerant on-board computers called CIP - Common Integrated Processor. Each of them contains 66 modules, the basis of each module is a 32-bit RISC i960 processor.

Radar with AFAR APG-77

Airborne radar

The F-22 is equipped with the AN/APG-77 active phased array radar. An antenna of this type consists of ~2000 receiving-emitting elements. The main advantage of such an antenna is the electronic control of the main lobe of the radiation pattern (analogous to beam scanning) - there is no need for mechanical scanning, which simplifies the design and increases operational reliability. Target detection range with EPR = 1 m² - 225 km (normal mode) and 193 km (LPI mode), cruise missile (0.1 m²) - 125-110 km. The instrumental range of the radar is 525 km.

The radar's ability to operate in Low Probability of Interception (LPI) mode renders conventional SPO/RTR systems useless. The AN/APG-77 radar is capable of performing an active radar search for a fighter aircraft equipped with SPO/RTR equipment in such a way that the target does not know that it is being irradiated. Unlike conventional radars, which emit high-power pulses of energy over a narrow range of frequencies, the AN/APG-77 emits low-energy pulses over a wide range of frequencies using a technique called broadband transmission. When multiple echoes are returned, the radar signal processor combines the signals. The amount of energy reflected back from the target is at the same level as conventional radar, but since each LPI pulse has significantly less energy and a different signal structure, the target will have difficulty detecting the F-22.

F-22 Raptor transonic flight over the aircraft carrier John C. Stennis

Data channels

The aircraft is equipped with an integrated communications, navigation and identification system originally developed by TRW. It includes a radar identification system - “friend or foe”, as well as secure and noise-resistant IFDL and Link-16 JTIDS channels. The aircraft implements a scheme for both receiving and transmitting data via the IFDL channel between other F-22s, while the Link-16 JTIDS channel, for reasons of improving radar stealth, is implemented only for data reception. As part of the Increment 3.2 modernization, the fighter was planned to be equipped with a more modern MADL channel installed on the B-2 Spirit bombers and F-35 Lightning II multirole fighters. However, in 2010, the US Air Force abandoned this initiative in favor of stealth.

Armament

The F-22 is armed with a 20mm M61A2 Vulcan cannon, 480 rounds, and six AIM-120C AMRAAM and two AIM-9M Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. And also with adjustable JDAM bombs.

The F-22 is compatible with the GBU-39 and SDB-53/B precision guided bombs; test drops have been carried out, however, no plans have been announced for 2015 to integrate them with the F-22. The fighter is capable of launching missiles and dropping bombs from internal compartments at supersonic speeds.

Fuel reserve

According to information from experts in the military-analytical magazine Armada international, the F-22 fighter carries a very limited supply of fuel inside the fuselage (only 8.2 tons), which makes it critically dependent on the ability to refuel in the air.

Projections of the F-22A aircraft

Exploitation

As of May 2012, the US Air Force operated 184 F-22As. As of July 2010, the F-22 was in service with the following US Air Force units:

– 1st Fighter Wing, Langley AFB, Virginia – 27th Fighter Squadron – 94th Fighter Squadron

– 192nd Fighter Wing, Langley AFB, Virginia – 149th Fighter Squadron

- 325th Fighter Wing, Tyndall AFB, Florida - pilot training center. – 43rd Fighter Squadron

– 49th Fighter Wing, Holloman AFB, New Mexico – 7th Fighter Squadron – 8th Fighter Squadron

– 44th Fighter Group, Air Force Reserve Command, Holloman AFB, New Mexico – 301st Fighter Squadron

– 53rd Wing, Eglin (AFB), Florida – 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron

- 57th Wing, Nellis AFB, Nevada - 10 miles northeast of Las Vegas - 433rd Combat Operations Squadron

- 412th Test Wing, Edwards AFB, California - 60 miles north of Los Angeles - 411th Test Squadron

– 3rd Wing, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Anchorage, Alaska – 90th Fighter Squadron – 525th Fighter Squadron

– 477th Fighter Group, Air Force Reserve Command, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Anchorage, Alaska – 302nd Fighter Squadron

- 15th Wing, Hickam AFB, Hawaii - 19th Fighter Squadron

– 154th Fighter Wing, Air National Guard, Hickam AFB, Hawaii – 199th Fighter Squadron

F-22 Raptor wash

In 2006, Exercise Norden Age was held, which involved training dogfights between 12 F-22 fighters and F-15s, F/A-18Cs and F/A-18Es. During the first week of the exercises, F-22 aircraft shot down 144 enemy aircraft without losses on their part. In just two weeks of exercises, the F-22 group scored 241 conditional victories, losing two aircraft.

In June 2012, an exercise was held in Alaska that included individual dogfights between F-22 fighters and Typhoons flown by German pilots. According to Major Mark Gruen, who participated in the exercises, during the exercises the opponents fought on equal terms; at long distances the F-22 had an advantage due to the latest equipment, but at close range the lighter Typhoon was in an advantageous position. A similar incident occurred in July 2015, when the fifth-generation F-35 fighter lost a close battle to the F-16, which has been in service since 1979. The export of the aircraft was prohibited by the US Congress in 1997.

Combat use

On September 23, 2014, information appeared in the media about the first combat use of the US Air Force F-22 against Islamists in Syria. The plane struck the city of Raqqa and its suburbs. By February 2015, F-22s had completed at least 112 combat missions over Syria. By June 2015, F-22s were included in every strike force bombing Syria. One 11-hour mission is described in which the F-22 clearly demonstrated its versatility by performing a strike mission, reconnaissance of enemy ground forces, guiding other aircraft to targets and escorting bombers.

F-22 cost

The F-22 is one of the most expensive fighter jets in service in the world. The cost of production of one aircraft is estimated at 146.2 million dollars (as of 2008), and the full price, taking into account all indirect costs and with the expected production volume, is 350 million.

This high cost is mainly due to the multiple reduction in purchase volumes of this aircraft. Of the initially planned 750 units, only 187 units were purchased during the entire production of the fighter.

The F-22 is sometimes said to be “worth its weight in gold,” which literally corresponded to the financial markets in February 2006 - the cost of 19.7 tons of pure gold (the weight of an empty F-22A) during this period was the same $350 million.

At the same time, the F-22 is not the most expensive aircraft in the world in general. The most expensive is the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, each of which cost the US Air Force $1.157 billion excluding R&D and $2.1 billion including R&D.

According to the US General Accounting Office (GAO), at the end of 2010, the full price of one F-22 aircraft (including the cost of the development program) reached $411.7 million.

Operating costs

According to the Pentagon, operating costs per unit of the F-22 do not significantly exceed those of other fighters. However, this statement has been questioned and criticized in some American media. According to The Washington Post, the operating costs of this fighter are much higher than the figures announced by the Pentagon. The article in the newspaper claimed that this was due to the vulnerability of the radio-absorbing coating, the accelerated wear of which, according to the author of the article, could be caused even by ordinary rain. Also, with reference to unnamed American military personnel, the newspaper reported that the cost of an F-22 flight hour is $44,000.

At a hearing in the US Senate, Pentagon representatives called the reports in The Washington Post unfounded and further made the following statement:

- for the 2008 fiscal year, the cost of one hour of F-22 flight, including only variable costs, amounted to $19,750. While for the F-15 this figure was $17,465; - for the same 2008 fiscal year, the total cost of one hour of F-22 flight, including variable, fixed and other indirect costs, was $44,259. While for the F-15 the same figure was $30,818. USA; — rain, other precipitation, climatic and weather conditions do not in any way affect the performance of the radio-absorbing coatings of the F-22 Raptor; the F-22 Raptor's combat readiness percentage increased from 62 to 68 percent from 2004 to July 2009. — The average level of combat readiness of the rest of the fleet is 64.5%; — the labor intensity of inter-flight maintenance for the F-22 is 13 hours per 1 hour of flight. According to plans, as of July 2009, the labor intensity should have been 19 hours per 1 hour of flight, and upon completion of “growing up” it should have been increased to 11 hours.

Some problems with the anti-radar coating were also reported in Air Force Magazine stories published July 13–20, 2009. According to the magazine, the problem was that this coating lasted half as long as it was intended. However, it further talks about solving this problem and constantly improving the quality of the coating, which made it possible to increase the combat readiness of the F-22 to 68%.

As for the labor intensity of maintenance, for the F-22 it is not excessively high and amounts to 30 man-hours per 1 hour of flight. For comparison, for the third generation fighter F-4 Phantom II this figure was 35 man-hours/hour, and for the F-104 Starfighter, which was considered difficult to maintain, it was 50 man-hours/hour.

Avionics

– Radar: radar with AFAR APG-77 – Detection range: 225 −193 km on target with ESR = 1 m² – Weight: 553.7 kg – Maximum average radiated power: 16533 W – Volume: 0.565 m³ – Cooling air flow: 4 .38 kg/min – Coolant flow: 33.9 l/min – APAA diameter: 0.813 m – weight: 219.1 kg – Volume: 0.275 m³ – Power dissipation: 8278 W – Coolant flow: 11.3 l/ min

– AN/ALR-94 Radiation warning station, consists of 30 sensors located in the wings and fuselage, which provides 360° coverage at all ranges. The system is capable of detecting, tracking and identifying a target at a distance of 460 km or more. When approaching a target at a distance of at least 180 km, target designation is provided for the APG-77 using a tracking file generated by the ALR-94 system. As a result, the onboard radar detects and tracks the target using a very narrow beam (2ґ2° in azimuth and elevation planes). The ALR-94 determines the direction, type of threat and distance to it, and then calculates the distance at which enemy radar can detect the F-22. All data is fed to on-board displays, and the pilot is provided with timely graphical information for conducting maneuvers to protect the aircraft. On the main display screen, marks for anti-aircraft missile fire control radars and early warning radars are enclosed in circles that indicate their estimated effective firing range.

– AN/AAR 56 IR missile attack warning system.

EPR F-22

Russian researchers, for example Pogosyan, Lagarkov, A. N. Davidenko (chief designer of the PAK-FA aircraft) gave an estimate of the EPR for the F-22 within 0.3-0.4 m².

Foreign experts (Aviation Week & Space Technology, GlobalSecurity.org), citing Lockheed Martin, indicated the F-22 ESR value at 0.0001 - 0.0002 m² (-40 dBsm). What rather concerns the local minimum in the EPR diagram.

Technical problems

In May 2012, US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta signed an order imposing significant restrictions on the flights of F-22 Raptor fighter jets. The reason for this was an unsuccessful search for the cause of failures of the on-board oxygen generation system (OBOGS), pilot complaints of suffocation and unpleasant odors in the cockpit. According to the order, F-22s are no longer allowed to make long flights, and are also required to always remain within reach of the runways so that, if necessary, pilots can make an emergency landing. At the same time, as Defense News notes, flights of aircraft based in Alaska are completely prohibited, since the bases located there are difficult for emergency landings.

The decision to impose severe restrictions on F-22 flights came shortly after the US Air Force moved several of the fighters to a base in southwest Asia, and after two pilots publicly announced that they would not fly the Raptor. On May 15, 2012, the US House of Representatives Subcommittee on Military Appropriations ordered $50 million to be allocated to install a backup gas supply system on F-22 fighters.

Since the beginning of 2011, F-22 fighters have been subject to another ban - they cannot fly above 7.6 thousand meters. It is believed that at this altitude, if signs of suffocation occur, the pilot has the opportunity to descend to at least 5.4 thousand meters in order to remove the mask and breathe the air in the cockpit. In addition, over the past almost a year and a half, the US Air Force has suspended F-22 flights several times. In particular, fighters could not take off from May to September last year.

The US Air Force has been trying to fix the OBOGS system since late 2010. In November 2010, an F-22 fighter jet piloted by Jeffrey Haney crashed in Alaska. According to the commission of inquiry, headed by retired General Gregory Martin, the cause of the disaster was the malfunction of OBOGS, which caused Haney to experience suffocation. At the same time, the deceased pilot was held responsible for the disaster.

During the inspections, we were able to identify the source of the problem. According to the Pentagon, it turned out to be a vest that pilots wear to help them breathe easier when the F-22 cabin is at low pressure: at high g-forces, it inflated too much and made it difficult to breathe normally. As a result of the subsequent modernization, two significant changes were made in order to ensure better air flow. Firstly, the valve in the vest that maintains the pilots' pressure was replaced: now it reacts to changes in cabin pressure and deflates when it is not needed. And secondly, the volume of air supplied to the pilot was increased. This change became possible after removing the filter, which determined the presence of contaminants in the oxygen present in the system. In this case, the possibility of contamination was excluded in principle.

After receiving assurances that the corrective measures taken would minimize symptoms of hypoxia experienced by F-22 pilots, the Pentagon approved the Air Force's planned phasing out of flight restrictions beginning July 24, 2012.

Flight accidents

As of November 2012, five F-22 Raptors have been lost in flight accidents:

– On April 25, 1992, the YF-22A prototype (serial number 87-0701) crashed while landing at Edwards Air Force Base and was written off. – On December 20, 2004, an F-22A (serial number 00-4014) crashed during takeoff from Nellis Air Force Base, the pilot ejected. – On February 11, 2007, 12 F-22 fighters were unable to fly from the United States to Japan due to problems with the navigation software (presumably due to crossing the date line in the middle of the Pacific Ocean). – On March 25, 2009, an F-22A (serial number 91-4008) crashed in the Mojave Desert of California, near Edwards Air Force Base, during a test flight, killing 49-year-old pilot David Cooley. – On November 16, 2010, an F-22A Block 30 (serial number 06-4125) crashed 160 kilometers from Anchorage while performing a paired training flight at 19:40 local time. The pilot, Jeffrey Haney, was killed. The cause of the crash was initially blamed on pilot error, but a detailed investigation determined that it was in fact engine overheating that caused the air conditioning system (ECS) and on-board oxygen generation system (OBOGS) to shut down. Not recognizing the signs of suffocation in time, the pilot did not have time to activate the emergency oxygen supply system and lost consciousness, which resulted in a crash. In February 2013, a report from the US Department of Defense was released, which gave a conclusion on the previous report of the US Air Force: it was noted that the initial version of the error made by the pilot was “hasty” and “not supported by facts”, that the Air Force report lacked a detailed description of the mechanism of operation of the system oxygen generation. – On November 15, 2012, an F-22 crashed on a highway in the United States. The accident occurred in Florida near the Tyndall Air Force Base. The pilot of the plane managed to eject. – On December 7, 2012, during a memorial ceremony to mark the 71st anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, an F-22 Raptor fighter jet was damaged while landing. Repairs to the aircraft are estimated at $1.8 million.

In 2011, the F-22's total flight hours exceeded 100,000 hours. From the beginning of service in the US Air Force to October 2015, the average flight time per loss was 56,180 hours.

Armament

The main task assigned to the Raptor is to gain air supremacy. However, modern methods of warfare require the vehicle to also carry bombs. In total, the hull has three compartments: a central one for bombs and heavy ammunition and two small ones for anti-aircraft missiles. The sash opens and releases in less than a second - otherwise the EPR value will increase sharply.

The small arms and cannon armament is a 20 mm M61A2 Vulcan multi-barrel gun with 420 rounds of ammunition. The gun's rate of fire is 4,000 rounds per minute. The barrels are cooled by air, as a result of which the burst duration is limited to 1.4 seconds. During air combat, the fire control system calculates the optimal lead and projects the firing point onto the head-mounted indicator.

In addition, the range of weapons includes:

• AIM-9M "Sidewinder" air-to-air missile with a thermal homing head. The most common model, which has about 20 modifications, including anti-location and anti-tank versions. The maximum flight range is 18 km.
• AIM-120 AMRAAM is an air-to-air missile with a radar seeker. It has an on-board computer that selects the optimal flight path. The initial portion of the flight of the AIM-120 flies at the command of the carrier's radar. In the middle of the journey, its own radar turns on, and the rocket continues its flight independently. The flight range of the standard model is 60 km, and the modified one is 120 km:
• GBU-32 JDAM - Adjustable free-fall bomb. The shelling is carried out at previously known coordinates. The probable deviation is 11 meters. Unlike laser guidance systems, the GPS signal is not sensitive to adverse weather.
• GBU-39/B is a free-falling bomb with a developed tail. Developed using stealth technologies. Having an EPR of 0.015 m2, the bomb is designed to overcome dense air defense systems. The warhead is capable of penetrating 90 cm of reinforced concrete, which NATO troops actively used when destroying Iraqi airfield shelters. The GBU-39/B is capable of hitting a mobile target at a range of up to 110 km.

The product, depending on the modification, is equipped with a thermal or radar head.

The F-22's weapons have a slightly longer range due to its supersonic cruising speed. For example, during a test launch of a bomb from an altitude of 15,000 meters, the JDAM hit a mobile target 38 km away, while in a similar test on the F-15 it hit a mobile target 28 km away.

There are 4 suspension points on the wing. They are designed for discreetly mounting weapons or for hanging additional fuel tanks. One suspension point is designed for two anti-aircraft missiles or a 2300 liter tank.

ATF program and design stages

ATF ( Advanced Tactical Fighter ) technical specifications and preliminary designs , a promising tactical fighter. The program came into force in April 1980; in May, participating firms (a competition between Lockheed and Northrop enterprises was expected) were issued an official request for information (RFI) about the possibility of creating such an aircraft. The aircraft was expected to replace the F-15 as the Air Force's primary fighter by the mid-1990s. The aircraft was intended to solve the following problems:

• gaining air superiority over enemy territory in confrontation with Su-27 and MiG-29 aircraft supported by RLDN A-50 aircraft;
• delivering strikes in the front line and in the rear against targets covered by air defense systems (the defeat of the air defense systems themselves was supposed to be carried out by F-117A aircraft).

In response to the RFI, it proposed a heavy, limited maneuverable fighter based on the layout of the SR-71 aircraft, capable of long flights at Mach number = 2.8. The customer was not satisfied with the lack of maneuverability.

Preliminary proposals from various US aviation industry firms on the possible appearance of the ATF (Advanced Tactical Fighter) aircraft, issued in response to an official request for information (RFI) about the possibility of creating such an aircraft. Photo: paralay.com

At the end of 1982, the US Air Force reviewed the proposals and issued a request for proposal (RFP), which determined the main directions of the search for the concept of the aircraft (Concept Definition Investigation, CDI):

• maximum speed requirements have been reduced;
• cruising speed is subsonic in non-afterburning engine operation;
• high maneuverability;
• dimensions are 15...20% larger than the F-15.

It was planned starting in the mid-90s. build 750 ATF aircraft and replace the entire F-15 fleet with them. This document was repeatedly clarified, in particular, 8 days before the Air Force issued the final version of the RFP (in May 1983), a requirement was introduced to use “stealth” technology (before that it was secret, even internally it could not be used on other types of aircraft except F -117). The requirements provided for reducing the visibility of the aircraft only from the “front” perspective.

According to initial plans, the ATF's promising tactical fighter was supposed to replace the entire fleet of existing McDonnell-Douglas F-15C Eagle aircraft Photo: Internet

In September 1983, participants in the CDI phase were identified:

• Boeing;
• "Grumman";
• General Dynamics;
• Lockheed;
• "McDonnell-Douglas";
• "Northrop";
• "Rockwell."

Proposals modified by customer comments, "McDonnell" and "Rockwell" on the possible appearance of the ATF (Advanced Tactical Fighter) aircraft, issued in response to an official request for information (RFI) Photo: paralay.com

Proposals modified by customer comments and Grumman on the possible appearance of the ATF (Advanced Tactical Fighter) aircraft, issued in response to an official request for information (RFI) about the possibility of creating such an aircraft. The Lockheed concept has not yet changed, which has caused new criticism from the customer Photo: paralay.com

All competitors received various significant comments from the customer and were forced to make significant changes to their concepts, but insisted on maintaining the layout of the SR-71 type. The refusal to take into account the customer’s requirements for increased maneuverability caused her sharp criticism and the question was raised about her further participation in the program. In such a situation, a new project was hastily prepared, in which the main emphasis was placed on maneuverability.

Project of a super-maneuverable light fighter Photo: paralay.com

However, this proposal did not suit the customer and the project was rejected again.

Its next version was made in the F-15 size, which provided a good balance between the ESR and other unmasking factors, cruising speed, maneuverability, range and weapon effectiveness. The customer agreed to recognize maximum speed and climb rate as secondary indicators. For details on the aircraft design, see YF-22 (ATF) Dem/Val stage project.

The engine was also developed by Pratt-Whitney on a competitive basis.

In October 1985, the US Air Force issued an RFP for the next phase of the project: demonstration and validation (Dem/Val). Based on the results of the first stage Dem/Val on October 31, 1986, Northrop was also selected for full-scale design, construction of prototypes and their flight tests, whose projects included a combination of:

• cruising supersonic flight speed;
• high maximum speed;
• high maneuverability;
• reduced visibility from all angles.

For further work under the ATF program, the following concerns were formed:

• Lockheed – Boeing – General Dynamics;
• Northrop-McDonnell Douglas.

However, later, for organizational reasons, the cooperation system had to be changed. Lockheed teamed up with Martin Marietta, Northrop, Northrop decided to independently develop the project, Boeing, General Dynamics and McDonnell Douglas received an offer to participate in the project as subcontractors as developers and manufacturers of PKI, as well as individual units and systems of aircraft developed by the Lockheed concern – Martin and Northrop.

An agreement was reached with the US Navy that the ATF aircraft could be considered as a replacement for the F-14 carrier-based aircraft, and the ATA (Advanced Tactical Aircraft) carrier-based aircraft as a replacement for the Air Force F-111 aircraft. 2 billion dollars were spent on the competition (including engines, avionics, aircraft), incl. 691 million for the construction of experimental aircraft YF-22, YF-23 (2 aircraft each).

General layout of the Lockheed-Martin YF-22 (ATF) tactical fighter - Dem/Val stage project Photo: paralay.com

YF -22 ( ATF ) Dem / Val , tactical fighter. To calculate the aerodynamics, frequency characteristics, strength and service life of an aircraft, its ESR and other unmasking factors, computers and FEM were widely used.

At the same time, numerous ground-based test benches and flying laboratories were used to test the resulting solutions.

For the first time, design was carried out entirely in a CAD / CATIA computer system with the creation of 3D models of all levels (part - assembly - assembly - aircraft) and the parallel release of technological documentation.

Initially, it was intended not to produce paper copies of CD and TD for transfer to production, but to place CAD / CATIA system terminals in all its areas, but this was abandoned for reasons of cost and ease of use.

General design features:

• the aircraft was a statically unstable mid-wing on all axes with a two-tail tail;
• the airframe shape is optimized to achieve the best balance between low drag at supersonic cruising mode, aerodynamic quality at high angles of attack and RCS;
• the main structural materials are aluminum and titanium alloys, composite materials (primarily carbon fiber reinforced plastics and Kevlar), stainless steels;
• the design widely uses large-sized monolithic load-bearing elements of the frame and cladding, as well as combined one-piece structures made of metal and composite materials;

The first prototype of the fifth generation tactical fighter YF-22A with civil registration number N22YF at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Daytona Photo: S. O'Connor // paralay.com

• in the production of the aircraft airframe and its systems, methods of powder metallurgy, volumetric stamping, rubber sheet stamping, mechanical and chemical milling, laser cutting, molding of composite and metal-composite panels in autoclaves are widely used;
• welding is carried out in a vacuum or neutral gas environment;
• for the production of the aircraft, the method of volumetric linkage of equipment was used, but without the production of a reference aircraft and material media of dimensions, which were replaced by 3D models;
• to reduce unmasking signs, optimization of the shape of external surfaces, special coatings for the cabin lining and glazing, sawtooth shape of cutouts and hatches, setting the size of slots on hatches and moving surfaces taking into account the suppression of the reflected radar signal, shielding of IR and UV radiation (primarily from engines and elements of the SCV and avionics cooling systems), sealing of fastener heads extending to the outer surface, low-reflective camouflage painting of the airframe, etc.;
• normal combat load options are designed for suspension in weapons bays, reloading options are designed for suspension under the wing;
• all aircraft avionics are digital, made with open architecture according to the MIL-STD 1553 standard;
• some of the microprocessors, motors, antennas and other avionics components are “implanted” into the power elements of the airframe (“thinking skin”);
• fully digital avionics receives information from digital sensors and issues commands to digital actuators or control devices;
• all aircraft systems and partly the airframe have built-in condition monitoring systems;
• all aircraft systems and the airframe are designed for maintenance as is without a system of routine maintenance; a set of measures has been taken to reduce the cost of maintenance, incl. by providing easy access to all service points;
• Frequent access service points are located so that stepladders are not required.

Power point:

• The aircraft is equipped with two YF119-PW-100 UVT turbofan engines with static afterburner thrust of 15880 kgf;

Pratt - Whitney F119-PW (AFE) on the stand - this is the world's first production engine for V generation fighters Photo: s2.smu.edu

• The UHT is provided by synchronous deflection of the jet stream of both engines by special nozzles at an angle of ±20° in pitch and is turned on when the aircraft reaches an angle of attack of +20°;
• the power plant control system (including UVT) is digital with full responsibility (FADEC), interlocked with the main aircraft control system and landing gear control;
• the fuel system includes integral compartment tanks with a capacity of 2920 kg, outboard drop tanks (2 pieces under the wing) with a capacity of 2920 kg, automation systems for refueling on the ground (centralized closed under pressure), production, technological and emergency drainage, as well as in-flight refueling;
• unregulated air intakes of a trapezoidal inlet section with onion-shaped channels that bypass the side weapon compartments and niches of the secondary weapon;

The experimental YF-22A aircraft had a traditional scheme for draining the airborne layer through the gaps between the air intake channels and the forward part of the fuselage, which increases the ESR and aerodynamic drag Photo: nara.getarchive.net

• To remove the boundary layer with LPF from the air intake channels, a traditional method with a slot and outlet of the retarded air outside behind the air intake inlet section was used;
• radar blockers are installed in the air intake channels and behind the flame stabilizers of the FC engines;
• The wings of the UVT system have edges parallel to the wing and tail to minimize the ESR.

Lockheed Martin F‑22A Raptor fighter – engine radar blockers are visible Photo: paralay.com

Wing:

• the aircraft has a trapezoidal wing with a large positive sweep along the axle, a large positive sweep along the axle in the root part and a moderate negative sweep along the axle;
• the wing is equipped with high-speed Mach-stable profiles, giving a “blurred” low-intensity shock wave at near- and supersonic speeds;
• the wing consists of two consoles attached to the fuselage with ear-fork assemblies with horizontal bolts (7 per console);
• the wing console consists of the main caisson part, the tip, the slat, the flaperon and the aileron;
• the power set of the wing caisson consists of the main spars along its PC and ZK, 7 auxiliary spars passing at right angles to the PSS in the area from the root to the 4th ribs, and 5 power ribs;
• the wing caisson skin is mainly made of CM;
• the slat is adaptive, deflects during takeoff, landing and during maneuvering depending on the position of the control stick and signals from the control system;
• The slat design is integral from CM, very simple and yet durable;
• the ILS navigation system antennas are located inside the slat;
• flaperon design made of CM, consists of a spar, ribs, a honeycomb package along the trailing edge and a working skin;
• The aileron design is similar to the flaperon;
• The design of the tip is made of CM, consists of spars, ribs, a honeycomb package along the trailing edge and a working skin, under which antennas of the electronic warfare system are installed.

Experienced fifth generation tactical fighters Lockheed-Martin YF-22A and Northrop YF-23 in a joint demonstration flight Photo: pinterest.com

Fuselage:

• the aircraft fuselage has a variable diamond-shaped section in the nose and a hexagonal (Diamond-Shape) in other parts, which reduces the ESR and creates a system of vortices that improve the aerodynamics of the aircraft at high angles of attack;
• the sweep of the air intake edges was chosen taking into account the minimization of the aircraft's EPR;
• the shape of the fuselage and air intakes of the aircraft in the plan view is such that its aerodynamics are similar to the fuselage of an aircraft with a root flap (for example, an F-18 aircraft), but with its own characteristics, see below;
• the large upper and lower surface of the fuselage has a shape close to flat - the fuselage creates significant lift both at supersonic and subsonic levels at high angles of attack;
• the fuselage together with the air intakes is made as a single technologically complete unit with a minimum of joints;

Placing systems in the middle part of the fuselage of the Lockheed-Martin YF-22 (ATF) tactical fighter - Dem/Val stage project Photo: paralay.com

• the strength set of the fuselage consists of longitudinal beams, strength and normal frames and cutout edgings;
• the fuselage skin is functionally rigid, in places three-layered, it and the hatch covers are made of large-sized metal and composite panels;
• the pilot's cabin in the NChF is covered with a teardrop-shaped canopy with all-round visibility;
• The canopy opens by fully lifting it back and up;
• There are three weapons compartments in the fuselage - a large lower one and two small side ones;
• a brake flap is installed on the upper surface of its middle part.

Photo of a production F-22A aircraft showing the design of the lower weapons bay Photo: Spotters.net.ua

Launch of an AIM-9M Sidewinder missile from the side weapons bay of an F-22A EMD series aircraft, see below Photo: planeaday.com

Plumage:

• The aircraft has a two-fin tail, installed on the HChF;
• the keels are installed with a significant “camber”, the angle of which is selected to reduce the ESR;
• GO and VO are composed of symmetrical M-stable profiles;
• GO is trapezoidal, similar in shape to a wing, but smaller in size;
• The GO is all-rotating, consists of two differentially deflectable consoles;
• the GO console has an integral all-composite structure with a predominance of carbon fiber;
• The VO has a trapezoidal shape in plan, the sweep of the edges is selected to reduce the ESR;
• the VO console consists of a keel and a launch vehicle;
• the keel and launch vehicle structures are all-composite;
• the power set of the keel consists of a power leading edge and a tip (single unit), two main and 11 auxiliary spars, 6 ribs;
• working rigid composite keel skin;
• fastening the keel to the fuselage - with three ear-fork units with a longitudinal arrangement of bolts;
• the LV power drive is located in the keel;
• integral all-composite design of the launch vehicle;
• the power set of the launch vehicle consists of a spar, a load-bearing edge and 15 ribs;
• The LV shell is working rigid composite.

Aircraft and wing mechanization control system:

• the aircraft and wing mechanization control system consists of interdependent channels of the main control for pitch, roll and yaw, slats control, flaperon control in aileron, flap and combined modes;
• fly-by-wire control system is completely digital with artificial stability and damping of the aircraft’s own vibrations and atmospheric influences along all axes;
• control can be exercised by the pilot by deflecting the control beam (pitch and roll) on the right side panel of the cockpit and pedals (yaw), while depending on the flight mode, both the wing mechanization surfaces and the engine thrust vector can be deflected;
• all control channels are digital only (without mechanical reserve) with quadruple redundancy;
• The aircraft and wing mechanization control system is interlocked with the control of the power plant and landing gear.

Chassis:

• tricycle landing gear with a nose wheel;
• beam-type front chassis support with a strut, with built-in LGA, shimmy damper, two-link (splined joint) and wheel turning mechanism;
• the role of the strut is played by the cylinder for cleaning and releasing the support;
• one POS wheel with a fork mount;
• beam-type front chassis support with built-in and remote LGA, shimmy damper, two-link (splined joint) and wheel turning mechanism;
• The PSH is attached to the fuselage load-bearing frame and is retracted forward against the flow;
• the design of the OOSH is similar to the POSH with the exception of the dimensions, the direction of installation of the strut (perpendicular to the PSS) and the method of mounting the wheel (cantilever on the axle)
• The PSS are attached to the load-bearing frame and beams of the fuselage and are retracted into the fuselage and wing perpendicular to the PSS;
• chassis disc brakes, cooled with automatic braking force adjustment, eliminating skidding and overheating;
• The landing gear control system (rotation of the wheel and braking in motion, parking braking and retraction) are interlocked with the aircraft control system and the power plant.

Composition of equipment and weapons - see table. at the end of the section.

The draft design in the 1st edition was completed in June 1987, but did not pass the defense and was completely reworked. The general appearance and layout of the aircraft were “frozen” in May 1988.

At the Dem/Val stage, several stands were built and life-size EPR models of the aircraft were built

Installation of a cannon in the middle part of the fuselage of the Lockheed-Martin YF-22 (ATF) tactical fighter - Dem/Val stage project Photo: paralay.com

Fuel reserve

The full volume of internal tanks holds only 8 tons of fuel. This is enough to fly 1400 kilometers. This is 30% smaller than the F-15 and reduces its patrol capabilities.

With the use of drop tanks, the range increases to 2,500 kilometers. However, PTB is resorted to only on long-distance flights.

It is not advisable to use tanks during combat missions - the device will already be illuminated by enemy radar at the initial stage and will lose its advantage.

It will be difficult to use the Raptor for long-term patrols. Fuel tankers are the only way out in this situation. However, here analogies arise from the Second World War, when German submarines were destroyed just during refueling.

Exploitation

The US Air Force operates 180 F-22As. Until 2007, the aircraft was prohibited from being deployed outside the country due to secrecy, and the US Congress imposed a ban on exporting the aircraft abroad, including to NATO allies.

The car has been criticized by the public more than once for its exorbitant maintenance costs. According to the authoritative The Washington Post, the cost of an hour of F-22 flight costs the treasury $40,000, which is one of the highest figures. The main reason for the costs is the frequent replacement of radio-absorbing materials, the wear of which is sometimes caused even by heavy rainfall.

However, the newspaper also notes that the labor intensity of servicing the device is low and is equal to 30 man-hours per flight hour. For comparison, the F-15 has 35, and the Vietnam-era F-104 Starfighter has 50.

During exercises involving the Luftwaffe's Eurofighter Typhoon in Alaska, individual air combat was practiced.

According to Major Grün, who participated in the exercises, the F-22 had incomparable superiority at long distances due to its detection means, but at close ranges the fast “typhoon” more than once seized the initiative. Soon, Pentagon officials argued that close fights were unlikely in practice.

F-22 - answers to questions

Introduction Recently, a lot of publications about the F-22 have appeared on the Internet and in print, which are mainly divided into two camps. The first includes ecstatic psalms about miraculous weapons that are capable of fighting any enemy of any size at sea, land, in the air and under water. An unobtrusive, super-maneuverable aircraft, both at subsonic and supersonic speeds, with which previous generation aircraft are simply not capable of fighting. The second camp unites articles and statements such as that “Raptor” is a suitcase with wings, stuffed with all sorts of electronics for 200 million, which in principle can fly, but it doesn’t really need it. True, it’s not clear how he demonstrates all these tricks at the air show, or maybe it’s not him? Maybe all this was filmed in a studio by the damned Americans, like the moon landing?

Meanwhile, in the shadow of heated debates and splashes of saliva, the important fact went unnoticed that the Americans created a fundamentally new class of combat aircraft, which we will discuss in detail at the end. And now the promised answers to questions on the aerodynamics of the F-22.

• How does the F-22 maintain good stability and controllability at high angles of attack without using such aerodynamic tricks as swells, anti-aircraft guns, wing leading edge steps and other aerodynamic elements typical of 4th generation fighters?

In fact, the Raptor has the same vortex aerodynamics as 4th generation fighters. Stealth requirements imposed extremely strict restrictions on it. The formation of the vortex system is responsible for the rib on the side surface of the nose of the fuselage, the vortex-forming upper edge of the air intake and a small influx in the root part of the wing (Fig. 1). The experimental testing of the upper edge of the air intake turned out to be especially difficult. Several contradictory requirements came together here: stealth, operation of the air intake, generation of a vortex rope, directional stability, etc.

Rice. 1. Bottom view of the F-22 vortex generation elements

Figures 2, 3 show the vortex system that is formed by the nose of the F-22 fuselage. The left figure shows a vortex system under conditions of continuous flow. Vortex strands from the upper edge of the air intake and the ribs of the nose section flow around the vertical keels on both sides, and the vortices from the influx flow around the wing and horizontal tail. With the development of separation phenomena (dark area in the right figure), the flow pattern changes. The vortex rope breaks away from the edge of the air intake and turns into a vortex sheet, which prevents the development of the separated flow area and thereby maintains the effectiveness of the vertical tail up to angles of attack of the order of 30 degrees. At high angles of attack, the property of low aspect ratio wings, associated with a large sweep angle of the leading edge, begins to have a positive effect. Due to the large pressure difference, gas begins to flow from the lower surface of the wing to its upper surface through the leading edge, this forms a vortex, prevents separation from the upper surface of the wing and maintains the efficiency of the tail (Fig. 4).

Rice. 2. Stabilization of directional stability using vortex ropes. Angle of attack 22 degrees.

Rice. 3. Suppression of a stall using a vortex sheet. Angle of attack 22 degrees.

Rice. 4. Vortexes breaking off from the leading edge of the wing

Of course, a classic wing swell would be better. After all, he solves another problem. When passing through the speed of sound, the aerodynamic focus shifts back, as a result, the margin of static stability increases and additional balancing resistance arises. The influx at supersonic speed creates a lifting force (at subsonic speed it is small), which weakens the rearward shift of the focus and reduces the balancing resistance (Fig. 5). The Raptor has stealth as its top priority. But what about additional resistance? The engine is powerful, there is a lot of fuel, so you can put up with it.

Rice. 5. Classic wing root flow and its effect on aerodynamic characteristics

Another thing is that Russian generation 4+ fighters have used the entire range of aerodynamic improvements, which makes it possible to increase the aerodynamic quality in a wide range of Mach numbers and angles of attack. This was discussed in detail in the second part of the work [1]. The Raptor developers had to abandon almost all of them in favor of stealth.

• Where does the Raptor get such an angular velocity of roll and rotation, which it demonstrates at exhibitions, because this seems to be typical for aircraft with a “tailless” design? Maybe it's a differential deviation of the thrust vector?

In fact, all aircraft with a small wing aspect ratio, and not just the tailless design, are characterized by a more favorable distribution of aerodynamic loads along the span than wings with a small sweep, such as the MiG-29, F-16, F-18 . The best aerodynamic design in this regard is the “duck” with a near-located front horizontal tail (FH). It is considered as such if the main wing is in the area of ​​effect of the flow bevel from the tail. This arrangement is also sometimes called a “tandem biplane”. The Swedes became the pioneers of the implementation with their “Viggen” (Fig. 6). The Israeli Lavi was built according to the same scheme.

Rice. 6. An example of the aerodynamic design of a tandem biplane. Saab "Wiggen"

The combination of a small moment of inertia relative to the longitudinal axis of single-engine aircraft and a large area of ​​lateral controls located along the entire trailing edge of the wing allows for a high rotation speed. The best among them is Mirage 2000. In this regard, it is interesting to compare the roll speed of the F-15, F-16 and F-22 (Fig. 7, circles indicate data with thrust vector control (TCV) turned off, squares with TVC turned on). Since the F-15 is twin-engine and has a moderately swept wing, and the F-16 is single-engine, the Falcon should have an advantage. The Raptor has engines located near the center of mass, a low aspect ratio wing, a highly swept leading edge and a very large tail. Theoretically, it should end up somewhere in the middle.

Rice. 7. Dependence of roll angle speed on angle of attack

At zero angle of attack, all three fighters are approximately equal in this indicator (about 200 degrees/sec.). As the angle of attack increases, the F-16 comes forward and maintains its advantage up to angles of 30 degrees. even if the Raptor uses thrust vector control. And only at high angles of attack the advantage goes to the F-22. The outsider, as expected, was the F-15.

In Fig. 7 it can be seen that the roll speed of the F-22 without UVT is already at an angle of attack of about 20 degrees. almost equal to that of the F-15. It is known that the nozzles of the Raptor engines are locked just up to an angle of attack of 20 degrees. To control the yaw angle and roll angle at high angles of attack, the UVT is connected. In this case, the nozzles are deflected in one direction, and not differentially, as strange as it may seem at first glance. At high angles of attack, when the roll angle changes, the slip angle also changes. When rotating around the velocity vector, the nozzles are deflected upward and the aircraft behaves like a rear-engine car in a controlled drift turn. In this case, the roll speed increases significantly. If it is necessary to rotate around the longitudinal axis of the aircraft, then this maneuver is performed without changing the angle of attack. Previously, these maneuvers were practiced on the X-31. Rotation is performed due to the differential deflection of the tail unit and the deflection of the nozzle flaps, now in one direction or the other.

• How does the F-22 control yaw angle so well when performing high-angle-of-attack glide maneuvers? It appears that he is freely performing a controlled flat spin. Is it a matter of different engine thrusts?

What the Raptor show shows is not a flat spin, but a rotation around the velocity vector (Fig. 8) at angles of attack greater than 55 degrees. Since the roll speed at such angles of attack is only a few degrees per second, and the precession speed is several tens of degrees per second, it seems that the plane is falling like a maple leaf, and this looks like a corkscrew, but it is not a corkscrew.

Rice. 8. “Dynamic Turn” maneuver using rotation around the velocity vector

By repeating the maneuver shown in Fig. 8 several times, the pilot can create in the viewer the illusion of a flat spin, which is what the Americans use at air shows. Let us remind you once again that the nozzles deflect only synchronously when the Raptor rotates. Theoretically, nothing prevents the nozzles from being deflected differentially. There are no special mechanical connections that prevent this. However, from the point of view of the flight dynamics of the F-22, this is completely ineffective. The nozzles are placed too close to each other and to the center of gravity. In addition, the nozzles begin to work only at angles of attack greater than 20 degrees, while the maximum deflection angle is precisely 20 degrees, i.e. deflecting them in different directions does not make much sense. Densely spaced flat supersonic design jets have a high ejection capacity, so the upward deflection of both nozzles stabilizes the flow near the upper surface of the rear fuselage between the vertical tail, which contributes to directional stability, as well as the effectiveness of horizontal rudders.

• How does the F-22 use UHT in close combat and can this “iron” win close combat against a 4th generation fighter without using UHT?

Rice. 9. Comparison of the balancing scheme of the F-22 and other fighters

The Raptor is distinguished by a low wing load and high thrust-to-weight ratio, clean aerodynamic shapes, and an internal weapons compartment. However, its wing has high inductive drag, flat profiles with poor load-bearing properties. The fuselage is oversized in the center section due to the need to accommodate four weapons bays.

It is known from theory that a fighter with a high suo will have an advantage at low angles of attack, and a fighter with a low suo at high angles of attack. Consequently, the “Raptor” in battle immediately needs to reach angles of about 20 degrees. , where due to its high thrust-to-weight ratio it should have superiority. And do it as quickly as possible, i.e. the rate of increase in the angle of attack should be as high as possible. Comparing the balancing schemes of different fighters (Fig. 9), we can conclude that the creators of the F-22 also knew about this.

The Raptor has engine nozzles located extremely close to the center of mass and a very large horizontal tail located rearward. This aerodynamic design provides twice the moment at the angle of attack than the F-16 without any shock absorber (Fig. 10). Applying nozzle deflection only increases the advantage.

Rice. 10. Rate of change of angle of attack

Thus, the Raptor has the ability to both enter into close maneuver combat with a 4th generation fighter in a mode that is advantageous for itself, and exit it. Moreover, its high thrust-to-weight ratio gives it an advantage in steady turns, which it performs up to angles of attack of 16–22 degrees. (most fourth generation fighters up to 10-12 degrees), at Mach numbers M = 0.5-0.8. For the F-16, maximum steady-state turn speed is achieved at an angle of attack of about 11 degrees.

The Americans achieved a fairly high result, i.e. were able to give their fighter new qualities (supersonic speed and the ability to maneuver at M>1), while also providing it with an advantage in traditional modes. Another thing is that something completely different was stated. They promised decisive superiority.

The situation is different with generation 4+ and 4++ fighters. Many of them have mastered maneuvers at supercritical angles of attack and angular turning speeds of up to 30 degrees/sec. It will be difficult for the Raptor to fight them on established turns. The only thing that was demonstrated on the Raptor from the arsenal of super-maneuverability was a “temporary increase in the pitch angle” for aiming the weapon (Fig. 11). With only two missiles on board, a $200 million aircraft may not be lucky in close combat.

Rice. 11. Temporarily increasing the angle of attack to aim the weapon at the target

• Is the F-22 super-maneuverable, is the F-22 used AHT on the F-22 to increase maneuverability (decreasing turning radii, increasing turn rates), and why is the AHT not used at supersonic speeds?

UHT is not used at supersonic speeds because the fighter does not have enough engine thrust for this. Let us recall that the available overload for M>1 drops by an order of magnitude [1]. In ballistic missiles, for example, controlled nozzles are a common technical solution, but the ratio of thrust to surface area washed is an order of magnitude greater.

In the F-22, deflectable nozzles are used only at low speeds and high angles of attack, when the efficiency of the aerodynamic rudders is not enough (Fig. 12).

Rice. 12. Use of shock absorbers at high angles of attack for balancing

The symmetrical deflection of both nozzles is used for pitch and roll control to enhance the effect of the horizontal tail at low speeds and high angles of attack. The use of deflectable nozzles increased the weight of the structure by 15...25 kg, while an equivalent increase in the area of ​​the horizontal tail would increase this weight by 180 kg.

UVT is not used to create super-maneuverability effects. Here it is necessary to recall how the 5th generation super-maneuverable aircraft was imagined in the 1980s. It was believed that this would be a relatively small, inexpensive and very maneuverable aircraft (Fig. 13).

Rice. 13. Drawing of an experimental AMDAC aircraft with direct control of lateral aerodynamic force and supercirculation effect

The UVT was to be used to create direct lateral forces, i.e. participate together with aerodynamic controls in controlling the spatial position of the aircraft, regardless of the trajectory of movement (Fig. 14) and the trajectory, regardless of the spatial position of the aircraft (Fig. 15).

Super-maneuverability allows you to reduce the overloads acting on the aircraft and the pilot, as well as expand the scope of use of weapons. The all-angle nozzle provides a particularly wide range of possibilities for designers. An aircraft equipped with such nozzles is theoretically capable of performing very unconventional types of maneuvers, for example, evading air-to-air missiles. “Raptor” does not know how to do any of this and will never be able to do it, it simply does not need it, it was conceived completely differently, supersonic, stealthy and simply relatively maneuverable.

Rice. 14. Super maneuverability. Controlling the position of the aircraft on the trajectory

Rice. 15. Super maneuverability. Trajectory control

Rice. 16. The appearance of a promising fighter, developed under the HiMAT program

Then slightly different trends prevailed. By the beginning of the 1980s, the 5th generation fighter began to be represented as a large, somewhere over 35 tons, but super-maneuverable aircraft, which should have used nozzles with shock absorbers and a wide variety of aerodynamic controls (Fig. 16). To study their effectiveness, radio-controlled models on a scale of 1:2 were developed (Fig. 17).

Rice. 17. Radio-controlled model HiMAT

The next approach to final development of the 5th generation fighter concept was the AFTI program, during which it was planned to build experimental aircraft on a modular basis (Fig. 18).

Rice. 18. Concept of modular comparative testing of highly maneuverable fighters AFTII

During the research, round and flat nozzles and different control options, including an all-moving wing, were compared. The “triplane” design for direct control of lateral aerodynamic forces was considered mandatory. All these innovations promised the fighter unconventional capabilities in maneuverable combat, and its large size meant a long range and significant ammunition load. At the level of 4th generation technology, the result was an aircraft weighing 35-37 tons, armed with 12-14 short-, medium- and long-range missiles, equipped with two engines with a thrust of 20-22 tons with shock absorbers, 10-14 control aerodynamic surfaces, a self-defense system with a circular review. He might have looked something like the funny pictures of his Chinese comrades (Fig. 19, 20). Now, by the way, this model is used in a computer game.

Rice. 19. Chinese ideas about a super-maneuverable fighter

Rice. 20. Direct control of aerodynamic forces

The concept of application in those distant years was seen something like this. Fighters equipped with a powerful radar, maneuvering at supersonic speed, fire at the enemy in a salvo. They didn’t particularly care about stealth, because... it was believed that in order to impose one’s initiative in battle, one needed to turn on the radar, and there was no time for stealth. It was believed that such a fighter could attack cruise missiles from a distance of at least 25 km, and enemy fighters from a distance of 50–70 km. In close combat, super-maneuverability and an all-round self-defense complex were supposed to ensure the launch of missiles both in the front hemisphere and in the rear.

Rice. 21. 5th generation fighter in view, developed under the AFTII program

It gradually became clear that by switching to new technologies and removing weapons inside the weapons bays, the aircraft could be made much more compact. A greater degree of integration of the wing and fuselage made it possible to increase the proportion of fuel in the aircraft’s weight, and new advances in aerodynamics made it possible to reduce cruising fuel consumption. The result was an aircraft measuring from 20 to 30 tons in a canard design, with a strongly flattened load-bearing fuselage. With this design, it made sense to use flat nozzles, because one could count on the effect of supercirculation. An example is shown in Fig. 21, isn't it a little similar to our MiG - 1.42. And what of all this rich reserve did Lockheed use in the F-22 project? NOTHING. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. RAPTOR IS NOT VERY MANEUVERABLE.

• They write that a significant part of the thrust is created by the air intake. How then are they balanced and where are the forces applied when the flaps of a flat nozzle are deflected?

Indeed, at supersonic speed the air intake creates significant thrust. This is easy to explain by considering the design of the supersonic air intake (Fig. 22). The flow behind the direct closing shock wave is subsonic. In the expanding part of the air intake (diffuser), the flow continues to slow down. Since the pressure in it is higher than in the environment, the distribution of pressure on the internal walls gives a resultant direction directed forward.

Rice. 22. Air intake design

The law of conservation of momentum is responsible for creating engine thrust. The plane is not pushed away from the air by a jet stream, propeller or compressor, as many still think. The principle of operation of a jet engine, including the one with shock-absorbing propulsion, is best described in a rather old book [2], but, according to propulsion experts, no better textbook has been published since then. In general terms it is as follows. The air intake and compressor serve to compress the air. This is necessary to supply it to the combustion chamber in an amount sufficient to burn fuel in an optimal ratio. The resulting combustion products rotate a gas turbine, which drives a compressor through a shaft. Next, the gases enter the nozzle. In order for the aircraft to move, it is necessary that the speed of the jet flowing out of the nozzle be greater than the flight speed of the aircraft. To which parts of the engine the traction forces are applied is not so important, but it is convenient to see this on the Pv (pressure - velocity increment) diagrams. In areas of the engine where the speed increases, a thrust force arises. It can be seen that the main share of thrust is generated by the nozzle (Fig. 23).

Rice. 23. Creation of thrust force by different sections of the turbojet engine

The compressor (section B-K), on the contrary, creates resistance. Since the law of conservation of momentum is vectorial, the deflection of the jet allows one to obtain thrust directed in the opposite direction. The force is applied to the walls and doors of the nozzle. Here is confirmation that the F-22's UVT is not used directly to increase maneuverability. There is nothing to balance the moments that arise. On the contrary, UVT is used for balancing. The MiG-29OVT does not have this problem, because the axes of the nozzles are spaced apart, and the nozzles themselves are all-aspect, the thrust vector can be directed through the center of mass. There are no problems on canard aircraft either. Here, PGO is used for balancing.

• Why are all-angle nozzles with UHT effective only in afterburner?

This is, perhaps, from the realm of oddities. We are apparently talking about the MiG-29 and the UVT system KLIVT NPO im. Klimova. In this thrust vector control system, not the entire nozzle is deflected, as in the Su-30, for example, but only the flaps of the supercritical part of the nozzle. When the afterburner is turned off, the critical section diameter of the RD-33 nozzle is reduced. With this configuration of the flap, its supersonic part simply cannot be deflected.

Let us also recall that UVT makes sense where the efficiency of aerodynamic control surfaces is lacking. It’s unlikely that anyone would think of flying in such modes without afterburner.

To understand that the afterburner itself has nothing to do with the efficiency of the shock absorber, we need to remember the principle of its operation. The afterburner is installed behind the turbine and only heats the combustion products, increasing their internal energy. Additional fuel could be burned in front of the turbine, if it could handle it, and there would be no need to adjust the compressor. And it would be possible, theoretically, to install an electric heater. The main thing is what the total pressure and temperature of the gas in front of the nozzle will be.

• Why is a flat nozzle used on the F-22, and a round one on the F-35, what are their advantages? The disadvantages of a flat nozzle are well known: high weight, loss of thrust, bending loads. In the F-35 version for the Marine Corps, these factors are critically important, but stealth just fades into the background. Therefore, a round nozzle was chosen (Fig. 24).

Rice. 24. F-35 VTOL engine

Gas dynamics know another serious drawback of flat nozzles, which complicates their use on STOL aircraft. Strong nozzle shock waves occur at the transition points between a round cross-section and a rectangular one (Fig. 25).

Rice. 25. Nozzle shock waves inside a flat nozzle

In round nozzles, nozzle jumps can also occur, but they are weaker. To destroy nozzle shocks, longitudinal baffles can be installed in flat nozzles, as on the F-117. On short takeoff and landing aircraft, nozzle jumps cause severe erosion of airfield pavement.

At the same time, flat nozzles fit well on supersonic aircraft with flat fuselages. They make it possible to significantly reduce bottom pressure at supersonic speed, which can create up to 40% of resistance. For the F-22, this is critical. In addition, flat nozzles make it relatively easy to use aerodynamic effects such as the Coanda effect (jet sticking to a nearby surface) and the supercirculation effect, which significantly improve the aerodynamic quality of the aircraft. This was partially used on the YF-23.

• What is the notorious radar blocker inside the F-119, and how much does it affect the loss of thrust?

This device is shown in Fig. 26 and is a kind of impeller. It blocks the turbine blades from enemy radar. The turbine blades are profiled and reflect waves in all directions no worse than corner reflectors. At the same time, the blades, which are visible in the photo, also cover the hot elements of the afterburner of the infrared-guided missile heads. Since the gas is accelerated mainly in the nozzle, and the radar blocker is installed in front of it, in an area where flow velocities are low, the thrust loss is relatively small. In any case, they are less than the losses caused by the transition from a round nozzle to a flat one.

Rice. 26. Radar blocker

• In the F-119, it is not clear where the air from the secondary circuit goes. It seems that the classic DTRDF scheme involves taking air into the second circuit behind the fan and mixing the flows of the first and second circuits behind the turbines, in front of the afterburner nozzles. But the F-119 uses secondary air only for cooling. It turns out that it is single-circuit? Or are the drawings published on the manufacturer’s website misinformation? There are two DTRD schemes, with and without flow mixing. Since the main flight mode is non-afterburning, what is surprising about the fact that a scheme without mixing flows has been chosen? The fan creates some of the traction force. Next, the air from the secondary circuit is discharged into the environment, but this does not make the engine single-circuit. In engines for which afterburner is the main mode, for example, in the D-30F, the flows are mixed in front of the afterburner.

• Conclusions. F-22 as a new class of combat aircraft.

IN THE PASSION OF DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE ESSENCE OF THE FIFTH GENERATION FIGHTER, A MOST IMPORTANT FACT REMAINED IN THE SHADOWS – THE AMERICANS HAVE CREATED A NEW CLASS OF AIRCRAFT EQUIPMENT. By analogy with the main battle tank, the F-22 could be called a main combat aircraft. This is the first combat aircraft that can almost equally serve as an interceptor and a front-line bomber. World aviation has been moving towards this event for 40 years. How was this achieved and why didn’t it work before?

The first attempt to create a universal aircraft ended with the appearance of the first-class bomber F-111, which has not been surpassed in the United States to this day. Then they tried to create a multi-purpose vehicle based on the F-15 fighter. The resulting F-15E gained the ability to attack ground targets while maintaining a high air combat capability. For a long time it had no direct analogues, perhaps until the advent of the Su-27MKI. However, low wing loading and moderate leading edge sweep lead to unacceptable buffeting when flying at low altitude. As a result, the F-15E's strike capabilities are considered mediocre.

In the early 1980s, a new look for the attack aircraft began to take shape. It had to be an aircraft capable of making a supersonic throw to escape from fighter strikes, and maneuverable enough to perform an anti-missile maneuver without a bomb load. The fact is that the experience of the war in the Middle East has shown that fighter-bombers suffer up to 80% of losses upon exiting an attack. Thus, a bomber requires a large wing and a high thrust-to-weight ratio. This, in turn, made it possible to design the bomber as an efficient vehicle, i.e. the mass of the bomb load and fuel can constitute a significant portion of the aircraft's mass. The range of action increases.

But, in the case of a large wing, how can one combat increased atmospheric turbulence when flying at extremely low altitudes? The easiest way to do this is with the help of a PGO in a “duck” pattern. The automatic control system counters vibrations. Subsequently, solutions were found for the normal aerodynamic design. A wing with a highly swept leading edge is itself resistant to vertical gusts of wind.

Rice. 27. S-37

So, if we remove the bomb load from everything that is said in this paragraph, what will happen? That's right, an interceptor, and with a very large range and ammunition. Realizing this, Israel began to design the Lavi, which they called an attack aircraft with a high level of maneuverability. At the same time, the USSR was developing the S-37 (the first with this name) with even higher data, which was considered as a replacement for attack aircraft, fighter-bombers and front-line fighters.

The F-22 represents a real breakthrough in this direction. AFAR works equally well against ground and air targets. The internal compartments accommodate bombs and air-to-air missiles. Do you remember how many years ago they wrote that it was not possible to develop a breed of universal pilots? And there’s no need! It is enough that bombers and interceptors with identical airframes and flight data will go on the attack. And let some pilots be masters of close maneuver combat, while others will only be trained to drop bombs and break away from the enemy at supersonic speed. And this will be a big step forward.

These Americans are strange people. They announced the creation of a single aircraft for different branches of the F-35 military and received a machine with a design commonality of no more than 35%. They created an aircraft that, based on a single airframe and equipment, for the first time in the world, actually replaces a front-line interceptor and a front-line bomber and remains silent. There was a single airframe: MiG-25P and MiG-25RB, but a single aircraft is definitely the first time. During exercises, they are fully practicing the tactics of using the F-22 as a fighter and a bomber in one formation and keeping quiet. It's strange, though.

Literature 1. P.V. Bulat. About the problem of launching rockets from compartments at supersonic speed. 2. Theory of air-breathing engines. Ed. Dr. Tech. Sciences S.M. Shlyakhtenko, M., “Mechanical Engineering”, 1975, 568 pp.

Combat use

The F-22 received its first baptism of fire in Syria in January 2014. Having carried out a couple of targeted strikes on Islamist bases in Raqqa, the plane returned safely to base. As of June 2015, the number of completed tasks exceeded 120.

During one of the 11 hour-long flights, the pilots carried out reconnaissance of the area, carried out a strike mission, carried out target designation, and escorted the bombers, demonstrating in practice the versatility of the aircraft.

Performance characteristics (TTX) in comparison with analogues

Thus, the main disadvantages of the F-22 Raptor over its rivals are its short range and the lack of an optical-electronic guidance station.

Performance characteristics of the F-22A Raptor

F-22 Raptor crew

- 1 person

Dimensions of the F-22 Raptor

– Wing span: 13.56 m – Aircraft length: 18.90 m – Aircraft height: 5.09 m – Wing area: 78.04 m² – Aircraft area: 16.54 m² – Airplane area: 12.63 m²

Weight of F-22 Raptor

– Empty weight: 19700 kg – Normal take-off weight: 29200 kg (100% fuel) – Maximum weight: 38000 kg – Normal load: 1116 kg (6+2 UR) – Maximum load: 10370 kg – Fuel: 8200 kg – Weight with two PTB: 11900 kg

F-22 Raptor engine

– Engine type: 2x turbofan Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 – Static forced thrust: 15876 kgf – Thrust-to-weight ratio at normal take-off weight: 1.087 – Thrust-to-weight ratio at maximum take-off weight: 0.83

Speed ​​F-22 Raptor

– Maximum speed: 2410 km/h - maximum (M=2.25) (in peacetime the maximum speed is limited to M=2 i.e. 2124 km/h) – Maximum speed without afterburner: 1826 km/h (M= 1.72) – Cruising speed: 850 km/h (M=0.8) – Maximum ground speed: 1490 km/h (M=1.22)

F-22 Raptor flight range

– Range with two tanks: 2960 km – Ferry range: 3220 km – Combat radius: 760 km (of which 185.2 km in non-afterburning supersonic cruising mode)

Service ceiling of the F-22 Raptor

– 20,000 m

Maximum overload F-22 Raptor

9.5 G (in peacetime 8G)

Armament of the F-22 Raptor

– 20 mm M61A2 Vulcan cannon, 480 rounds – Air-to-air missiles: six AIM-120C AMRAAM and two AIM-9M Sidewinder. – JDAM guided bombs. – Compatible with guided precision bombs of the SDB (Small Diameter Bomb) class GBU-39 and SDB-53/B

Technical problems and incidents

An oxygen production station has become a mandatory attribute of modern aircraft, replacing an oxygen cylinder. Such stations are also available on Raptors and are called OBOGS.

In 2012, the Pentagon imposed restrictions on the flights of vehicles with this system.

The order prohibited flying away from bases, in Alaska, and at altitudes above 7600 meters. According to experts, this is the maximum altitude from which one can return to the ground if the pilot experiences suffocation.

The situation was complicated by the fact that two pilots publicly refused to fly the F-22 due to air problems. The defect claimed lives. During the investigation of the crash of one of the devices in 2010, in Alaska, it turned out that the cause of the disaster was loss of consciousness from suffocation. It also became known that the pilots’ high-pressure suit swelled greatly during overloads, preventing the pilots from breathing normally.

The designers solved the problem by installing a valve that relieves excess pressure in the suit and removing the cleaning filter to increase the capacity of the air duct, while eliminating the possibility of clogging.

Other unusual incidents also include:

• April 10, 2006. False operation of the cabin lock. After many hours of attempts to open the canopy, with the participation of the manufacturer's employees, it was dismantled using a tool. The cost to replace the light was $200,000.
• February 11, 2007. Navigator software crashes when flying to Japan. Associated with the change of date and time in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The program did not provide a shift algorithm, so GPS receivers provided incorrect information. The entire squadron returned to base, after which Lockheed urgently updated the firmware.
• November 16, 2010. Excessive engine overheating and emergency shutdown of the air conditioning and OBOGS system. The pilot did not have time to react, suffocated and crashed. After this incident, emergency oxygen cylinders began to be installed in the cabin.

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION F-22 RAPTOR

Cockpit

The aircraft's cabin is perhaps the most comfortable of any fighter ever flown by the US Air Force. It should be noted that for the pilots of these machines there are practically no height restrictions (with the exception of very short or very tall). The unbound flashlight, consisting of two layers of transparent polycarbonate with radio-scattering coating, in combination with the shape of the glider, provides good visibility (downward-forward viewing angle is about 15°). The weight distribution of the flashlight is designed to ensure its guaranteed separation during ejection. Ejection seat - ACES II class "zero-zero".

Cabin equipment

The cockpit is equipped with a wide-angle head-up display (HUD), which displays flight, navigation and targeting information. The instrument panel contains four multifunctional color displays (there are no electromechanical devices), the information displayed on them is designed to make the pilot’s work as easy as possible. Thus, when displaying the tactical situation, enemy aircraft are indicated by red circles, friendly aircraft by green circles, and aircraft of the group by a blue F-22. The aircraft's onboard systems also select targets, identifying the most dangerous ones. Initially, it was planned to replace the HUD with a helmet-mounted system, but for now this work has been suspended due to the high cost, so the HUD will remain on the aircraft for the foreseeable future.

Radar station APG-77

The basis of the F-22 sighting system is the APG-77 phased active array radar developed by Northrop Grumman. The first modifications of the radar were equipped with an antenna that included 750 solid-state transmitting and receiving modules, and with the APG-77(V)1 modification, universal transceiver modules (1500 pieces) were installed on the station, which significantly increased the performance. The station has the ability to simultaneously track several targets. Field of view in azimuth and elevation +/-60°. In the ground target operating mode, radar aperture synthesis is provided, which can significantly increase the resolution and target detection range. In order to reduce visibility, passive operating modes of the radar are provided, and by quickly changing the station's operating frequency, the likelihood of signal interception during active operating modes is reduced. Research has been carried out in the field of using radar in the data exchange channel, as well as using it as a jamming station.

Power point

The aircraft is equipped with two twin-shaft bypass turbojet engines F119, having a thrust of 15575 kN and a weight of 1700 kg each. Compared to other engines installed on US Air Force aircraft, it has increased reliability, maintainability and ease of maintenance. The engines are equipped with flat nozzles with fixed side walls and movable upper and lower panels, designed to regulate the cross-sectional area of ​​the nozzle and deflect the thrust vector in pitch by an angle from +20° to -20°.

20 mm Vulcan gun

The M61A2 Vulcan cannon is located on the right, at the root of the wing. The cannon port is closed by a flap that opens when firing. Ammunition - 480 rounds.

Missile weapons

The main armament of the aircraft is the AIM-120C AMRAAM medium-range air-to-air missile. Six such missiles can be placed in the two lower weapons compartments, and in the case of using early modifications of the missile, the AIM-120A/B AMRAAM, their number is reduced to four. Today, mainly AIM-120C-7 missiles are used, and by 2015 it is planned to put into service missiles of the “D” modification with an increased flight range. In addition to AMRAAM, two onboard weapons bays can accommodate one AIM-9M Sidewinder missile each. Subsequently, they are planned to be replaced by AIM-9X. When striking ground targets, the lower compartments of the aircraft can accommodate two JDAM adjustable aerial bombs (CAB) with a caliber of 454 kg (one CAB and one AIM-120C missile in the compartment) or up to eight GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs (CAB - four in the compartment). KAB and one UR AIM-120C). All KAB GBU-39, having folding control surfaces, can be dropped in a salvo outside the engagement zone of air defense systems with individual targeting of each ammunition.

Ensuring low visibility

Reducing the visibility of the aircraft is carried out in several directions, the priority is reducing the effective dispersion area (RCS). This is achieved, first of all, by the configuration of the airframe, the surfaces of which are oriented in several directions - the reflection of the radar signal into strictly limited sectors of space is ensured. All the few protruding elements of the airframe are covered with shielding flaps, and the edges of the compartments and service hatches are jagged, which also ensures scattering of the radar signal. An equally important role is played by the use of radio-absorbing materials and coatings. The aircraft uses new generation materials that are more resistant to damage compared to radio-absorbing coatings on the F-117 and B-2 aircraft. In addition, minor repairs to the coating of the F-22 aircraft are possible at home airfields, while the B-2 requires special equipment, and work to repair and restore its coating is carried out only in a repair plant. Reduced visibility in the infrared range is ensured by a special design of engine nozzles, which reduces the temperature of exhaust gases. The third area is strict control over the electromagnetic radiation of on-board equipment, designed to minimize the possibility of direction finding of the radiation source.

According to the general designer of the T-50 fighter A.N. Davidenko, the EPR (effective dispersion area) of the F-22 fighter is 0.3 - 0.4 sq.m. For comparison: the EPR of the F-15 and Su-27 fighters is about 12 sq.m, the MiG-29 is 5 sq.m.

Underwing hardpoints

Initially, the vehicle was designed for use in conditions of counteraction to a modern, powerful and well-organized air defense system, and on the first day of the conflict to achieve the greatest effect. However, the possibility of installing underwing pylons for suspension of PTB (in the ferry version) or weapons of destruction has also been retained. Naturally, when installing pylons there is no need to talk about low visibility, but they can significantly increase the capabilities of the aircraft when used as an air defense fighter. The F-22 has the ability to drop pylons along with the PTB when approaching a combat zone. Currently, pylons with reduced ESR are being developed.

Lighting equipment

The aircraft's navigation lights are made conformal. Electroluminescent drill lights are located in the forward fuselage, on the top of the wing tips and on the outer surfaces of the fins. The fuel receiver is illuminated by headlights located on the inside of the receiver flaps. The cabin lighting is electroluminescent. The intensity is adjusted automatically and does not interfere with the use of night vision goggles.

EXPLOITATION

The F-22A Raptor became the world's first fifth-generation fighter to enter service. The sole operator of the new aircraft was the US Air Force. At the beginning of work on the program to create a promising fighter, the total number of required air superiority fighters was estimated at 750 aircraft. Subsequently, this number was reduced to 187 due to the too high cost of the F-22 ($146.2 million per aircraft), while at the same time the Raptor was also assigned strike functions.

On December 15, 2005, the 1st Fighter Wing's 27th Fighter Squadron at Langley AFB, Virginia, became the first F-22A-equipped unit in the U.S. Air Force to achieve initial operational capability (meaning the squadron was capable of sending 12 F-22A aircraft to any area of ​​the planet). The decision to do this was made after the successful completion of the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron of the US Air Force, which began back in 2001, testing the Block 3.0 software intended for the Raptor.

By May 2009, 139 aircraft were delivered to the customer, which were distributed to the 27th and 94th Fighter Squadrons (AFS) of the 1st Fighter Wing (Langley AFB, Virginia), the 7th and 8th Fighter Squadrons of the 49th Fighter air wing (Holloman AFB, New Mexico), as well as the 90th and 525th air wings of the 3rd air wing (Elmendorf AFB, Alaska). In addition, F-22A fighters are in service with the US Air Force Reserve (302nd Air Force, 477th Fighter Group, Elmendorf AFB, and 301st Air Force, 44th Fighter Group, Holloman AFB) and the US Air National Guard (149th Fighter Group). 192nd Fighter Wing, Langley AFB). Pilot training for the new aircraft is conducted at the 43rd Air Force, 325th Fighter Wing, Air Training Command (Tyndall AFB, Florida). Further study of the F-22A and development of tactical and other issues is carried out at the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron of the Air Combat Command and at the 412th Flight Test Squadron, 412th Test Wing, Edwards AFB, USAF Materiel Command.

Among the specified number of F-22As there were fighters of four modifications: Block 10, 20, 30 and 35, and the aircraft of the first modification will be upgraded to the Block 20 standard.

As of 2012, the USAF received 184 F-22s, with the last aircraft produced in 2011, after which production ceased. Thus, the Raptor fleet will be the smallest of all fighters ever in service with the US Air Force.

In February 2007, the first group of F-22A was sent on the first “overseas mission”, the main tasks of which were to test the capabilities of the 1st Airlift Wing to quickly build up forces and assets in a remote theater, as well as the traditional demonstration of force for the US Armed Forces. 12 F-22A fighters from the 27th Squadron from Langley Air Force Base were transferred to Kadena Air Base (Japan), where they spent 120 days.

In October 2008, the second Raptor group (eight aircraft from the 90th Squadron) was deployed to Andersen AFB, Guam, and were then replaced there by six fighters from the 525th Squadron, remaining there until the end of the summer of 2009.

The Raptor is considered to be significantly superior to fourth-generation aircraft in air combat. As confirmation, they cite the result of training air battles between the Raptor and other American fighters during the Northern Edge exercise in 2006 - the “newbie” then won with a crushing score of 144:0. On the other hand, the operation of the new fighter has revealed numerous problems that call into question the combat effectiveness of the Raptor, at least until they are eliminated.

Thus, in 2010, due to problems with the oxygen supply system for the pilot, OBOGS, an F-22 combat fighter crashed, killing the pilot. After this, complaints began to be received from pilots of combat units about suffocation in flight. After lengthy investigations, a commission of the US Air Force and Lockheed Martin found out that the cause of suffocation was the asynchronous operation of the breathing module of the OBOGS system, which is responsible for the pressure of oxygen supplied to the pilot, and the units that monitor the compensation of overloads. Due to the desynchronization of the work of these elements of the life support complex, the pilot’s chest and stomach were compressed by the suit from the outside, and from the inside this pressure was not compensated by sufficient pressure of the supplied oxygen. It turned out that one of the valves in the OBOGS system module, which was responsible for the proper functioning of the anti-g part of the Combat Eagle suit, was to blame for the problems with asphyxiation. It freely passed air inside the suit, but did not provide the proper bleeding speed. As a result, upon exiting the overload maneuver, the OBOGS breathing module reduced the pressure of the supplied oxygen to the required value, and the suit continued to remain inflated for some time.

As a result, the US Air Force command imposed strict restrictions on F-22 flights. In particular, pilots on these fighters were forbidden to rise to a height of more than 7600 meters (so that in case of suffocation they could have time to descend); in addition, flight routes had to be carried out in such a way that from any point they could fly to the nearest airfield without in more than half an hour. All this greatly reduced the combat potential of the F-22. Only after the air supply system in the anti-overload system was refined did the gradual lifting of flight restrictions begin (all F-22s were re-equipped with new components in 2013).

The Raptor was designed to provide a designated endurance of 8,000 flight hours. According to the plans of the US Air Force command, the annual fighter flight time should average 335 flight hours - in this case, the Raptor's service life will reach 24 years. Currently, Lockheed Martin specialists are studying the possibility of increasing the assigned life of the F-22A to 10,000 flight hours. At the same time, employees of the development company especially emphasize that during the entire assigned life the aircraft will not need to undergo any intermediate inspections or repairs, with the exception of regular inspection and restoration of a special coating designed to ensure low visibility of the aircraft.

In 2009, the US Air Force released information that every hour of flight the F-22A requires up to 30 hours of maintenance, of which about half is to maintain the special coating. Considering the technical complexity of the F-22, this is quite a bit - at the level of fourth-generation fighters.

The only known case of combat use of the F-22 to date is a strike against Islamists in Raqqa (Syria) in September 2014. The humor of the situation is that for an ultra-modern American fighter worth literally its weight in gold, there was no more suitable target than detachments militants, whose weapons and maintenance are much cheaper than the regular army.

In popular culture

Despite its young age, the F-22 has become popular. In particular, he appears in:

1. Hulk. (2003)
2. Transformers. (2007) One of the antagonists transforms into an F-22
3. Transformers 2. (2009)
4. Olympus Has Fallen. (2013) Airplanes attack an AC-130 strafing the White House
5. Command and Conquer Generals series of games. Is a multifunctional unit.
6. In the game Ace Combat: Assault Horizon and in many other flight simulators

The image of an airplane in films is associated with technological perfection, and in computer games you can fly it only after reaching a high rank.

Prospects

Experts have expressed different opinions about the future of the Raptor, but it is clear that the addition of the F-35 Lightning II is attracting more and more attention from the military.

The presence of an electro-optical station with a helmet-mounted target designator, a jamming station, a modern data exchange interface, and compatibility with a wide range of weapons, including tactical atomic bombs, turns the F-35 into an excellent troop support vehicle. In third world countries, drones have long taken on this task.

The F-22 has a different mission. The plane is destined to reign supreme in the sky. He must divert enemy interceptors away from the bombers, reconnoiter the area with a sharp, energetic flight and carry out target designation, carry out targeted strikes on fortifications, in general, everything to ensure the army a confident victory.

Russia will soon respond by launching the Su-57 into serial production, which means that their meeting in third countries is quite likely.

This will reveal their weaknesses and give a powerful impetus to the development of aviation. Both cars will be modified more than once to meet the increased requirements of the time. Therefore, the Raptor will guard the skies of its country for many more decades, until it is replaced by new, sixth-generation machines.